


The Road To Happiness

by 5t4c3y



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Character Death, Comedy, Dying Wish, F/M, Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Live Life, Male-Female Friendship, Road Trips, Romance, Route 66 - Freeform, Sister-Sister Relationship, Tearjerker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-02-08 14:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1944819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5t4c3y/pseuds/5t4c3y
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the passing of their brother Shawn, Beth and Maggie Greene take it upon themselves to fulfil his last request. So with a little help from Maggie's boyfriend Glenn, and Daryl, Shawn's best friend and notorious bad boy; the four set off on a journey of a life time to give him his final wish...Seemed simple enough, but simple never really was Shawn's style. FEEL GOOD FIC :) AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

_Life is the greatest Journey you'll ever be on_

**The Road To Happiness**

22 year old Shawn Greene was dying, and as brutal as it sounded, it was true. His doctors knew it. His family knew it. Hell, even he knew it. So denying the inevitable was not an option as far as he was concerned.

At first the diagnosis of Osteosarcoma had been a hard pill to swallow for the Greene family; and an even harder pill to pronounce in Shawn's opinion, so referring to it as 'Oscar' had been his only solution in the end. Or so he had said anyway. That very first trip to the doctor's surgery at the age of 14 had only been to retrieve a few painkillers for his 'Best Kicking Leg' as he (and his sisters) had so eloquently put it. But as time carried on and the pain persisted, Shawn quickly came to the acceptance that no amount of ibuprofen, co-dydramol or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were going to make him feel any better.

As an avid soccer player, Shawn's doctors had originally come to the conclusion that all he had was a bad sprain and as a result, needed to spend a few weeks off the field. At that news, he was pretty sure the world was coming to an end. Well, a few weeks quickly turned into a few months and before he knew it, Shawn was back at the clinic complaining once again. By that time doctors were becoming increasingly concerned by his swelling knee and as a result booked him in for emergency physiotherapy. One session in and Shawn was convinced that he could have a career in contortion.

When phsyio failed x-rays were introduced; quickly followed by CT scans, MRI's and bone scans. But through it all Shawn never lost his sense of humour, even offering to swallow a penny so the doctors could have their very own warped session of 'Where's Waldo?' as they worked. They politely declined. But as they had sat studying the scans thoroughly for hours on end, they started to wish that something had been hidden within them that would bring them a semblance of joy. Instead they got the duty to inform The Greene family that Shawn was in Stage II of his cancer. It had been his 15th birthday.

Treatment started immediately, and to the surprise of the doctors, Shawn still maintained his positive outlook on life. But as time went on, the prognosis began to look bleaker and bleaker. The tumour situated in his right knee continued to grow, and after weeks of debating the doctors finally removed his leg. But again it didn't faze him. In Shawn's mind it could have been worse. They could have cut the wrong leg off.

Things began to pick up again after the amputation. Maggie, his older sister by two years, had finally built up the courage to leave the family home and go to college, something which she had been postponing since he had fallen ill. Beth, his younger sister, was able to sleep through a whole night without checking on him. And his parents, they began to smile for the first time in what felt like forever. Things were finally looking up for them...But then that ended.

Once again, Shawn began to get sicker. His body becoming more frail and weak as time went on. Maggie quickly moved back into the farm house round about the time Beth started checking in on him again. After more tests were carried out, it was revealed that the cancer had spread to his other bones and lungs, and that's when they knew. At the age of 20, doctors informed Shawn Greene that he was going to die.

Two years down the line, Shawn was still smiling. A smile which never seemed to fade or fail to lighten the hearts of those around him; but as he sat squashed up in Maggie's old banged up car listening to her and Beth 'sing' along to  _We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,_ he was highly doubting that a smile would be tugging at his lips anytime soon. When they stopped at a red light, he took the opportunity to reach for the dial of the radio.

"Shawn Greene!" Maggie bellowed as she shifted the car into first "Touch that radio and I'll kill you before the cancer does."

"You are such a way with words, sis. Y'know that?" Shawn smirked, settling to a classic rock station "But trust me when I tell you that you're already in the process of doin' so."

"Aw, c'mon, Shawn." Beth smiled, nudging him slightly as he sat back in his seat "I think we've got what it takes to be on America's Got Talent! Don't you?"

"The blooper reel, probably." He replied, Beth feigning hurt as Maggie quickly put the car in gear and continued on the journey home.

After watching Shawn sit in the house and cough his lungs up for the majority of the day, Beth had suggested that the three of them go into town to get some smoothies from Patricia's café. Take their minds off of things. After watching him cough up his lungs in the café, home sounded more appealing after all.

Coughing once again, Shawn quickly rubbed the small amount of blood away from the corner of his mouth, Maggie glancing at him through the rearview mirror with helplessness in her eyes. She watched as he pulled out a well crumpled napkin from his pocket, holding it tightly to his mouth before bursting into another fit of spluttering.

"Did you take your pill's this mornin'?" She gently asked once he had settled back down, their light hearted banter quickly dissipating.

"Yeah, Mom, I took them." He replied with a small smile, Maggie shooting him a playful glare as Beth giggled "Tasted just like M&M's."

"You are unbelievable." Maggie smirked, rolling her eyes slightly as Shawn shot her a toothy grin.

They continued on in silence before turning down onto the dirt road towards the farm house, Shawn struggling to keep his eyes open. It had just gone 9:30, the sun barely going down, but he was exhausted. All he wanted was to curl up in bed and sleep. When they eventually came to a stop outside the house, Maggie quickly ran inside to greet their parents, or as Shawn liked to think, tell them or every burp, sneeze and fart that he shared while they were out.

"Just you wait, Bethy..." Shawn said, shaking his head slightly at his older sister as he gingerly got out of the car; Beth quickly coming round to his side to help him "When I'm gone, it's you who's goin' to be stuck with her."

"Don't even joke." Beth gasped as he took her arm to brace himself, a small smile gracing her delicate features "Maggie already wraps me in bubble wrap. Think I'll go insane if she constantly watches me. I'm surprised you haven't killed her already."

"Hey!" Shawn smirked as they headed for the porch "I expect to find peace in the after life. If I kill her now, then what!?"

Giggling, Beth helped her older brother up the old rickety stairs of the porch. She remembered a time when he was able to take three at a time. She remembered when they were kids playing cops and robbers on them, Beth standing at the top with her 'gun' as she attempted to apprehend whatever villain Shawn had chosen to be that day. Those were memories that not even death could rip away from her.

Once reaching the top step, Shawn motioned to sit down for a little, his prosthetic outstretched as he took a seat on the porch swing. The sky was darkening as they sat staring out onto the fields, Beth gently swinging her legs back and forth as she watched the horses in the distance.

"Are you afraid?" Beth finally asked, turning to look at Shawn who sat staring at the sky with a smile on his face.

"Of death? Not at all." He replied, causing her to smile a little "Life is the greatest journey you'll ever be on. Some journey's last longer than others, but it don't mean that they're any less special. My journey's comin' to an end, but I've enjoyed the view."

"You sound like a damn philosopher." Beth giggled, gently rocking the swing back and forth "...You ain't afraid what will happen to you?"

"I'm more afraid of what suit Mom will pick out for me." He said wide eyed, again causing his baby sister to laugh "But in all seriousness, no, not really...I just want to be free...D'you remember that vacation we all took to LA a couple of years ago?"

"How could I forget?" Beth laughed "Maggie with all those boys!? Daddy near had a heart attack that summer."

"Well, d'you remember the day we spent on the beach?" He smiled, Beth nodding "I have never felt as free as I did that day on that beach...Although I'm happy and content with my life, I don't want to be stuck here when I die. I don't want to be buried six feet under in a tight box wearin' my Sunday Best. I want to be free. Cremated. Dancin' in the wind on that beach."

"You're crazy!" Beth giggled, nudging him slightly to which he returned "...I mean could you  _imagine_  the look on Momma's face knowin' that you were cremated in your Sunday Best?"

Shawn could only laugh. Music to Beth's ears, it was. The three of them had always been close. Him, her and Maggie. Ever since they were kids, but with there only being two years between him and his baby sister, the bond they shared was unbreakable.

They soon fell into a comfortable silence, Shawn coughing every now and then as they continued to look out onto the farm. The sun had gone down and it was starting to get a bit cooler, but neither wanted to move...That was until Beth heard the familiar roar of a motorcycle in the distance. At the sound of it her stomach heaved, an anger bubbling up inside of her as her worst fear came into sight.

"Down, Cujo..." Shawn smirked, patting Beth on the knee lightly as her smile turned into a grimace.

"I mean it Shawn..." She warned, turning to face him "He so much as says one thing to me, and I'll kill him. Ok? I am  _not_  afraid of prison."

"Duly noted." He smiled, the roar of the engine coming to a stop.

With distaste in her mouth, Beth turned to see none other than Daryl Dixon standing before them. A rugged yet extremely attractive man whom she just did not get on with. He was slightly older than Shawn, probably by about four or five years, but the two had been best friends for as long as she could remember. Through thick and thin she had seen them grow together, Daryl especially, and although she found him to be nothing more than a colossal pain in the ass, he had surprised her by sticking by Shawn's side throughout his whole illness.

"Hey Shawn!" The handsome man called before turning to face her with a toothy grin "Hey Baby Greene. Wanna ride?"

And the fact that he deliberately tried (and succeeded) to piss her off on a regular basis did nothing but fuel her hatred more.

"Shove your bike up your ass, Dixon!" She spat, Daryl chuckling slightly as he bounded up the porch steps "What the hell are you here for anyway?"

"Came to see your pretty face, of course." He said with a smile, Shawn biting his lip to refrain from laughing as his sister practically growled "That, and I need to see your Daddy about some jump cables."

"He's inside, man." Shawn chuckled, Beth glaring at him slightly.

"She's so damn cute when she's mad, ain't she?" Daryl smirked, causing Shawn to laugh once again as his friend headed inside in search for his father.

"What an  _asshole_!" Beth grumbled, Shawn flinging an arm round her shoulders.

"There, there..." He cooed mockingly "Y'know, I don't understand why you hate him so much. I mean, you did date him."

"Four dates, is not classified as 'dating', Shawn." She said through gritted teeth, her arms crossing over her chest as she tried to forget that "He's just a pain."

"I'll turn in my grave when you marry him." He joked, a cough escaping his lips as Beth patted his back.

"You're getting' cremated." She smirked "Remember? And believe me, ain't no way I'll ever be marrying that man."

"If you say so." He laughed, his sister glaring at him slightly "If you say so..."

Beth loved Shawn. She loved his humour. His love for life. After Daryl had left, where a few more words had been exchanged, she helped him out of the porch swing and inside, the cold night air affecting his chest a little more than usual. She helped him upstairs and into bed, tucking him in before turning his light off and going to say a prayer for him. A prayer that she would see him again in the morning.

That night, Shawn Greene died.


	2. Chapter Two

_We all die.  
_ _The goal isn't to live forever,  
_ _The goal is to create something that will._

**Chapter Two**

She had been lost in a dreamless sleep when Maggie had come bursting into her room in the wee hours of the morning; tears streaming down her face as she'd collapsed into a heap on the floor at the foot of her bed. Alarmed and confused, Beth had thrown her covers back, clambered out of bed and sat by her distraught sister's side.

Clutching her stomach tightly, Maggie had laid there wailing in agony, her teeth sinking into the soft flesh on the back of her wrist in an effort to hold back her pained screams. With tears blinding her, she had turned to face her baby sister, grasping her arm in a vice like grip as if she were about to lose her at any moment. Beth had just stared at her sister in confusion, but with a broken nod, Maggie answered all the unspoken questions that danced behind her big blue eyes. As realization had hit Beth, she'd felt the searing pain race through her own body, her throat closing in as she'd fought to catch a breath.

...He was gone?

Beth had wasted no time detaching herself from Maggie's grasp before stumbling out of her room towards her brother's. He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't. But as her parents had stood at his bedroom door, blocking her entry as the coroner worked away behind them, she'd known...It  _was_  true. Noticing her trying to peer in, the coroner had quickly covered Shawn's lifeless body with the bed sheets.

"Bethy..." Hershel had struggled out, tears streaming down his face as Annette stood howling beside him "Shawn's..."

He couldn't carry on.

"...But..." She'd stuttered out, glancing at her parents with glassy eyes "He...I..."

Unable to finish her own sentence, Beth had clamped a hand tightly over her mouth and ran. Down the stairs and out the front door, she'd never stopped running. She'd run down the porch steps, past the van which would take Shawn away, and across the fields until she had finally come to a stop next to the old barn. It was there she threw up. Her small body had heaved as she'd brought up everything in her stomach.

Once she'd regained her composure, she hadn't thought twice before running to the side of the house and grabbing her bicycle. She couldn't be there. She couldn't watch them take him away. Instead, she'd had to keep running. Barefooted she'd begun to peddle. Faster and faster until she was headed up the little dirt road that lead into town. Wearing nothing but her white sleep shorts and matching cami, the wind had nipped at her skin. Her hair flying around behind her as she'd pushed on. But she never stopped.

And that's why she found herself standing inside the dull hallway outside his front door, her feet a little cut up as she stood staring at the brass 39A screwed into the badly chipped wood. She found herself there because she had never stopped running. With her bike abandoned in a heap somewhere out front, Beth had climbed the dirty steps inside the complex towards his apartment, the whole time inwardly chanting to herself _What are you doing here?_

Ignoring the chant, she knocked the door.

It didn't take long for Daryl to answer. His eyes a little bleary and his hair a little messy as he took in the image of Beth before him. He hadn't been sleeping very long. Half an hour at the most before she had surprised him with her presence. And a surprise it was. Of all the women who could have shown up outside his house at 3 in the morning, it had to be her.

"Well hello there Baby Greene..." He smirked, leaning up against the doorpost as he took in her attire "Wantin' that ride after all?"

But a swift slap across the cheek was all he got in reply. A little stunned, his hand flew to his stinging face, Beth maintaining a stony glare as he cussed slightly.

"Guess not..." He muttered, rubbing his cheek a little as his annoyance crept in "What're you doin' here Beth?"

But she didn't respond. She couldn't bring herself to form the words that were stuck in her throat. Instead her eyes began to fill with tears, her lip quivering as her fists balled at her sides. With knowing fear building up within him, Daryl swallowed back the lump that he could feel forming. There had to be another reason for Beth Greene to be standing there in her PJ's...There had to be...

"You...You should really be headin' home, Beth..." Daryl began, clearing his throat a little as he tried to force a smile "..Think Shawn will kick my ass if he finds out you're over here lookin' like that..."

He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the thought of his friend. But it wasn't a laughter that was brought from joy or happiness, but instead from fear. He could feel the anxiety within him begin to creep up and choke him from the inside.

"He'll be pissed." He carried on, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he began to shift nervously from foot to foot, his eyes desperately searching hers for any sign of hope "...He'll be over here first thing in the mornin' thinkin' I've had my way with you. I promise you that Beth. He'll be here...He will..."

His voice was beginning to break. His eyes filling with tears as Beth's small body began to tremble, a gasp escaping from her lips as she shook her head slowly.

"...No, Daryl..." She finally managed to stutter out "Shawn...He..."

"...Don't..." Daryl croaked out, cutting her off as a stray tear fell from his eye; his hands flying to his short hair, grabbing it fiercely as he took a step back "Don't say anythin'...He's..."

As Daryl began to break down, Beth could do nothing but let her tears fall. With her hands clasped tightly over her mouth, she was forced down to the ground; her legs no longer able to keep her standing as she broke into uncontrollable sobs.

With a scream of pain, Daryl turned and kicked the door, grabbing the handle and kicking it over and over again, each time the offending object bouncing off the wall and swinging back towards him. In a fit he turned away from the door and focused his rage upon the battered table that stood in the corner behind him, swiping off the collected trash before upturning it and launching it further into his small apartment.

It wasn't long before the commotion attracted the attention of his neighbours, a couple popping their heads out to see what was going on and a few more to tell him to 'keep the fuck down!' before swiftly slamming their doors closed.

Exhausted, Daryl fell against the wall, sliding down until he was sat facing Beth. Her lifeless eyes, bloodshot. He wasn't one to usually show his emotions, especially around someone like her, but for the first time since he was a child, Daryl let his tears flow openly. Let the groans of hurt and loss escape past his lips.

"He..." He spoke, his voice sounding so broken "He wasn't goin' to die, Beth. He was supposed to get better..." His voice cracked again, a hand covering his eyes as he felt a fresh wave of pain wash over him "H-he was supposed t-to get  _better_!"

Finding her footing, Beth slowly got up, her sobs dying down to a whimper as she passed over the threshold into Daryl's apartment. Without saying a word she lowered herself down beside him; his cries filling the deafening silence. With her back pressed up against the wall, she gently reached out and took hold of his hand, their fingers intertwining as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Tonight, they wouldn't hate each other.

Tonight, they would just cry.

**…** **…** **…**

Beth couldn't quite understand why the sun was shinning that morning. Why the world hadn't come to a halt after losing something so precious. Sitting in Daryl's truck she could only focus on the sun spilling through the trees. The sound of birds singing as they drove in silence back towards the farm house. It was days like these that Shawn loved the most. Days where he could look up into the sky and see life.

Peering out of the corner of his eye, Daryl felt his stomach wretch. He had known deep down that something had happened when he had opened the door to see her standing there. Had known that his friend had finally found peace. Feeling fresh tears burn the back of his eyes, Daryl angrily pressed a little harder on the accelerator.

They had sat in his hallway crying until the sun came up, neither one of them uttering a word as the hours passed by. They had just held each other and cried. When it hit 6am, Daryl had finally managed to pull himself up, dropping Beth's hand for the first time as he snatched up the keys to his truck. Again, neither one of them spoke a word. In silence they walked down stairs and out the apartment block, Daryl picking Beth's bike up and placing it in the bed of his truck before motioning for her to get in.

Both knew. No words were needed.

It wasn't long before they pulled up outside the farm house, Hershel and Annette immediately running out onto the porch as Daryl and Beth slowly got out the truck, Daryl making his way to get the bike out of the back.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Annette cried, lack of sleep evident in her eyes as she yelled at her daughter "We have been worried sick all night...And on top of everythin' else! How could you be so selfish, Elizabeth!?"

Not waiting for a reply, Annette about turned and headed back into the house, her wails easily being heard outside. Turning to face his daughter, Hershel motioned for her to come to him; His arms outstretched wide as she willingly obliged. Once again, her tears fell.

"I'm sorry, Daddy..." She cried into his chest "I...I just..."

"Ssh, Bethy..." Hershel whispered, kissing her head "You don't have to explain anythin'."

Looking over her shoulder, Hershel's heart dropped a little at the sight before him. He had never seen Daryl look so...defeated.

"Son..." Hershel called, his voice broken as he held out an arm to him "C'mere..."

Reluctantly at first, Daryl slowly made his way towards the man that he had looked upon as a father. The pain in his face almost unbearable to look at. With his head hung low, he climbed the porch stairs, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as Hershel grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him into their hug. It was there he finally let his tears fall.

The three of them stood like that for what felt like hours, none of them daring to move until a tearful Maggie came out to fetch them.

"Momma's made breakfast..." She practically whispered, a silent tear making it's way down her own cheek "She just won't stop cookin'..."

"We'll be right in..." Hershel said with a nod, pulling away from the two "Will you join us for some family time, Daryl?"

"I don't think so, Mr. Greene..." He croaked out, stepping back from the old man "I...I just..."

"It's Ok, son" Hershel replied with a sad smile "...Just remember we're here."

With a nod, Daryl shared one last glance with Beth before turning round and heading back for his truck.

**…** **…** **…**

They sat mainly in silence, no one daring to speak as Annette continued to shovel mountains of food onto everyone's plates. Beth, who hadn't touched a thing, prodded at the pancakes stacked high in front of her with her fork. Every so often she would look up to see Maggie staring helplessly into her food, Glenn, her boyfriend from Atlanta, rubbing her back soothingly. At the news through the night, he had immediately gotten into his car and headed straight for the farm.

Annette, satisfied that everyone's plates were at the right amount of full, finally took a seat at the side of Hershel. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair falling out in all directions as she gingerly sipped on her coffee.

"I'll call Father Stokes today..." She mumbled, breaking the silence "Start arrangin' funeral plans..."

"Don't you think that's a little soon?" Maggie scoffed, slamming her cutlery down as she turned to face her mother in anger "I mean, at least let his body cool down before you stick him in a box!"

"Maggie, that's enough." Hershel warned, his voice dangerously calm "Everyone at this table here is hurtin'."

Shaking her head a little, Maggie sat back in her seat, pushing her full plate to the side as she glared at her mother out the corner of her eye.

"The sooner this is done, the better." Annette said, her voice barely there "The sooner he is buried and laid to rest the sooner we can...we can all begin to move on..."

Beth couldn't help but look at her Mom in panic as the word 'buried' passed her lips.

"Momma..." She began "I don't think that we should have Shawn buried..."

"Beth...please..." She began, stopping her daughter before she even began "Let's not do this right now."

"But, Mom..." Beth persisted "Shawn...He didn't want this..."

"He wanted to live!" Annette snapped "That's what Shawn wanted..."

A little stunned, Beth glanced at Maggie who, if looks could kill, would have you resting six feet under by now.

"Mom, please!" She carried on "Listen to me. Shawn didn't want to be bu-"

"Enough, Beth!" Annette cried, standing up from her spot "I am calling Father Stokes today and I am arranging his funeral. So this conversation is finished!"

With fresh tears burning her eyes, Beth got up from the table and stormed out of the kitchen. She wanted to be as far away from her mother as she possibly could be at that moment. Banging on the stairs, Beth made her way up to Shawn's room. She stood outside it for what felt like forever before she found the courage to step inside.

She couldn't remember the place feeling so empty.

Slowly, Beth closed the door behind herself, her tears burning the back of her eyes as she took in her surroundings. It had never taken a lot to make Shawn happy. The simple things in life as he had liked to say. The room had been decorated rather basic. The walls a greyish blue. A 'perfect compliment' to the 'cold-ass hardwood floor' as Shawn had like to put it. But although the room had basic décor, Shawn had managed to change that. A budding photographer, he had the walls covered with snapshots from his short life. Pictures of him...Maggie, Glenn, her...Daryl...His whole life laced the four walls.

Beth couldn't help but smile at a picture that sat by his bed. It was of the five of them. Her, Shawn, Glenn, Maggie and Daryl. It had been taken the day of the 'funeral'. Yes, there had already been a funeral. For his leg anyway. Shawn had insisted on it. The minute he got home from hospital after the amputation he had began to plan a memorial for his trusty friend. A little disappointed that he was unable to take the leg home, he and Daryl got to work in creating a little space under the large oak tree by the barn as a 'remembrance spot'. Beth could not remember laughing as much as she had that day. She could even remember the speech her older brother gave.

" _Here we remember Fred The Leg...A great support who stood firm and was never afraid to kick his heels back and enjoy life...Fred, we salute you!"_

To finish the service by singing 'Shake a Leg' had been the cherry on top of a fun day. He always knew how to make her laugh. Heck, Shawn always knew how to make everyone laugh. He was by far the most considerate person she had ever met. A person who would do anything for you. So the thought that he was going to be buried did nothing but bring a sadness to her heart. The thought that he would forever be trapped inside that box...it wasn't fair...

Putting the picture back down, Beth turned to leave, but as she did she was stopped by a poster that hung facing Shawn's bed. It was a picture of a car travelling down an open road, the words ' _We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will'_ written in the sky. As she read those words she was taken aback, her mind going haywire as she let them sink in.

"That's it..." She whispered to herself "Of course!"

Smiling, Beth was snapped out of her gaze as Maggie walked into the room, tear tracks staining her face as she stared at her little sister.

"Beth..." She spoke softly "What's wrong? What are you doin' in here?"

"Maggie!" She turned, an excitement in her voice "I know what we can do for Shawn! I know how we can give him his last wish!"

"What?" Maggie asked in confusion "Beth, you're makin' no sense."

"Shawn never wanted to be buried, Maggie." She replied, making her way over to her sister and taking hold of her arms "He told me. He wanted to be cremated on the beach in LA. He wanted to be free, not stuck in a box forever."

"But...Mom's wantin' him buried." Maggie said, confusion still evident in her eyes "How is it goin' to be even possible to give him that wish?"

"Simple!" Beth cried, her smile almost blinding "The goal isn't to live forever, but to create somethin' that will!"

"Beth, can you just tell me without writin' a damn song about it?" Maggie snapped, rolling her eyes a little at her sister's excitement "What the hell are you wantin' to 'create'?"

"I want to create somethin' that Shawn would be proud of." She answered softly, her smile never fading "Somethin', that even in death, he still gets to experience with us...Somethin' that we will never forget."

"...Beth, you're startin' to scare me now." Maggie said, a little worried at where she was heading with all this "What are you goin' to do?"

" _We_.." Beth began "Are goin' to give him his last wish, Maggie...We are goin' to take Shawn to LA."


	3. Chapter Three

_Every story has an end,  
_ _But in life, every end is a new  
_ _Beginning_

**Chapter Three**

Maggie Greene had never been a very judgemental person. A trait, which her Daddy had told her, was hard to find and a treasure to keep. When her friends were going out and getting drunk, hooking up with random boys, she never once opened her mouth. Never once looked at them any differently. When Daryl Dixon had first arrived on the family farm with Shawn all those years ago, she had tried her damnedest to get to know him before letting her mind wander to all the stories she had heard about him. And there had been  _a_   _lot_ of stories. But even then, she had quickly grown to love him like her second brother. So no, Maggie had never really had that judgemental streak...That was, until now anyway.

"You are bat-shit-crazy, y'know that!?" She almost cried as Beth stood before her smiling "What d'you mean 'We are goin' to take Shawn to LA'!? Are you nuts!?"

"No, Maggie!" Beth exclaimed, her smile threatening to touch the corners of her eyes "Not nuts. Genius! What better way to remember Shawn and to give him the farewell that he deserves, than to give him his last wish."

A little alarmed by her sister's newly discovered streak of insanity, Maggie quickly found herself pacing back and forth, her hands finding her hair to be quite interesting as she let what Beth had said sink in.

"Take him to LA?" She muttered, turning to face her baby sister who did nothing but nod with a beaming smile "As in, travel him from Georgia to Los Angeles?" Again with the nod "Move his body...which is dead...to the other side of the country?" Beth only smiled "Are you  _listening_ to yourself!?" Moving closer to the young blonde, Maggie dropped her voice to a whisper "Beth, you are talkin' about  _stealin_ ' a body!"

"Well...technically yes, _but_...It doesn't really count..." Beth replied.

"How so?" Maggie asked, crossing her arms.

"...Because it...doesn't?"

"Oh Lord..." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Look Maggie..." Beth began, making her way to the inspirational poster that hung on the wall "I know that it is a big thing to ask. Lord knows how much trouble we'll be in when Momma and Daddy finds out, but Shawn...He would have loved this. He would have  _wanted_  this. And I don't know about you, but I would rather spend the rest of my summer with Momma bein' a little mad with me than spend the rest of my life bein' very mad at myself...So please...Let's give Shawn the freedom that even death itself can't steal away from him."

Turning to look at the poster, Maggie felt fresh tears threaten to fall. As crazy as it sounded to her, and it  _did_  sound crazy, she knew deep down that her baby sister was right. That this was exactly the type of insane, potentially illegal, could send them to jail sort of thing that Shawn would have wanted.

"Ugh..." Maggie grumbled, covering her face with her hands "Why couldn't I have had a brother who was happy to be buried with his favourite teddy bear?"

"You mean, you're in!?" Beth cried, her eyes wide with happiness.

"...Yeah, I'm in..." She sighed, her arms dropping to her sides "But the minute we get back,  _you_  are going for a psychiatric evaluation!" Squealing slightly, Beth flung herself at Maggie, pulling her in for a tight hug "But Beth..." She carried on, pulling back a little to look at her younger sister "I think it would be wise if we asked Glenn to come along too. You know, for support...only problem is, I don't think he'll be too up for it..."

"Don't worry about a thing, Maggie..." Beth smiled "I've got everythin' under control."  
 **… **…** **…****

"Hell, yeah! Count me in!"

"Glenn!" Maggie cried a little exasperated "You're not supposed to be  _so_  enthralled with the idea!"

After hugging it out for a while in Shawn's room, Beth and Maggie had went on the hunt for Glenn, soon finding him washing up from breakfast as Annette napped in the living room; a crumpled tissue clutched tightly in her hand as Hershel sat in his rocking chair looking out onto the farm. Motioning for him to be quiet, the three of them had sneaked out the back, none of them daring to speak a word until they had come to a stop by the old oak tree by the barn. By Fred The Leg's remembrance spot. There, they had shared Beth's 'Genius' plan, and to say that Glenn had only been a little excited would be the biggest understatement of the millennium.

"What d'you mean?" The 25 year old smiled, nudging his girlfriend ever so slightly "It's perfect! Shawn would have done the exact same thing for any of us if the shoe had been on the other foot. So I say go for it. Life's too short to live with regrets."

"I'm not sayin' let's  _not_  do it..." Maggie mumbled, crossing her arms slightly as Glenn chuckled a little "I'm just sayin' lets try not sound  _too_ enthusiastic about it...I mean, we are stealin' my brother's body...Doesn't that worry either of you just a bit?"

Glenn could only smile before pulling Maggie in to his side and pressing a kiss to her forehead. She had always been a bit of a worrier. Ever since he had met her. He supposed it was due to Shawn and his condition. The whole family had spent 8 years worrying about him.

"I just think it's great." Glenn replied softly, rubbing her back a little "Shawn touched everyone's lives. Didn't matter who you were; if he met you he was adamant you were becoming his friend..." Feeling tears burn the back of his eyes, Glenn cleared his throat a little "I agree with Beth that this is the perfect way to say goodbye..."

They were silent for a while after that. Each reflecting on times that they had shared with Shawn.

Glenn had only known Shawn for four years. Four short years that he would cherish for the rest of his life. When he had first visited the Greene Farm as Maggie's new boyfriend, Shawn had sat him down for the 'Big Brother Talk'. A little nervous, Glenn had expected the third degree. Age. Name. Occupation. Do you plan to kill my sister? Those sort of questions. But as Shawn had sat him down, stared at him with a look that could kill and said  _'I want you to be totally honest when I ask you this, Glenn, because I'll know if you're lying to me...What trilogy do you think is the best, Back to the Future or the original Star Wars?'_ , Glenn had known that he was going to grow to love the boy.

"Y'know, it's funny..." Beth said quietly, breaking them out of their thoughts as a silent tear ran down her cheek "How much you can miss someone so quickly..."

"Yeah..." Glenn whispered, Maggie wiping her eyes furiously with the heels of her hands "But I have no doubt that he's watching over us right now screaming for us to get our ass' in gear and organize this trip..."

"Yeah..." Beth replied, her smile fading a little as he mind began to wander "Which reminds me...There's still one person that we have to tell..."

"Who?" Maggie sniffled.

"...Dixon..."  
 **… **…** **…****

She had decided to go and hunt Daryl down alone, Glenn and Maggie staying behind to help Annette and Hershel out with anything that they needed done. After a failed attempt at looking for him at his now trashed apartment, Beth had tried calling. A number which she was annoyed she still had stored if she was totally honest. After the fifth time of it going to voicemail she took to the streets, peering through almost every store, café and bar window she came across in an effort to find him.

It wasn't until she was beginning to lose all hope of tracking him down did she stumble across his motorcycle parked outside one of the towns more rowdy bars. A place, she knew, where Daryl had been involved in one too many bar fights. With a deep breath she had pushed the door to Otis' open, the smell of stale beer and sweat immediately hitting her as she weaved her way in and out of the crowds of people.

A classy joint it definitely wasn't, the floor covered in sawdust and the occasional small pool of blood. Through the blinding cloud of smoke that filled the room she managed to spot Daryl up the back by the pool table, and to say that he looked hellish was putting it mildly.

She was pretty sure that he had been there since dropping her home that morning. Drinking himself into an oblivion in order to forget. Pushing her way through she finally came into his line of vision, a drunken smirk tugging at his lips as she approached him.

"Baby Greene..." He slurred , pocketing a ball before standing up straight "Seems like you just can't get enough of me today..."

"Shut up, Dixon..." She spat through gritted teeth, reminding herself just why she was there in the first place "I've been lookin' for you everywhere. I need to talk to you..."

Walking round the table, Daryl turned his back to her, hunching over before pocketing another ball. With a harsh chuckle he eventually stood, turning back to face her as he took a perch on the end of the table, his strong arms crossing tightly over his chest.

"Talk to me?" He asked, arching an eyebrow as the drunken smirk reappeared "Since when have you ever wanted to talk to me willingly?"

"It's about Shawn..." She replied, his smirk immediately fading.

He was silent as she told him. Shared with him about the poster; about wanting to create something that would be remembered. He never uttered a word as she explained what Shawn wanted. What he had shared with her on the porch about LA. He just listened. She told him about Maggie and Glenn. About how they wanted to give Shawn the ultimate goodbye. Help give him his final wish. He could feel the tears that he thought had dried out begin to return when she had asked him to come.

He was silent.

"Nope, no, nein, nyet and no way in fuckin' hell, Beth." He finally snapped, making his way back round the pool table to take his next shot, the beer bottle which had been sitting off to the side, quickly being snatched up and gulped from "D'you know how fuckin' crazy you sound?"

With tears blurring her vision, Beth ran her hands through her long hair. Her anger bubbling up within her as he carried on with his one man game.

"Yeah, I'm crazy." She spat, storming over to him and pushing him away from the table, forcing him to look at her "I'm crazy because I want to give my brother his last wish! I'm crazy because I'm willin' to go that extra mile to see it happen...I'm crazy because I cared for him..."

Staring down at her, Daryl took a step closer, their faces mere inches apart.

"You think I didn't care about him?" He asked softly, his voice cracking slightly "Is that what you think? You think I don't care now that he's gone? It's been less than a fuckin' day, Beth, and already I feel like my arm has been ripped from my body! That there's a whole in my chest that is never goin' to be filled..." He couldn't stop the tears from falling, a sight which caused Beth's heart to lurch "I ain't ready to say goodbye!"

Brushing a tear of her own away, Beth took a step back from him, his body trembling from grief as he turned and threw his beer bottle against the wall.

"Then don't say goodbye..." She said, approaching him once again before gingerly placing a hand on his back "Come because you are his best friend, Daryl. Come so that you can say that you got to experience the thing that he wanted most in the end with him..." He was silent, Beth bringing her other hand to his back as his hard demeanour broke "...Come because I want you to come, Daryl..."

He said nothing. Just rubbed a hand over his face as his tears continued to fall. Sighing, Beth slowly dropped her hands from his back.

"Every story has an end..." She began, causing the broken man to slowly turn to look at her "But in life, every end is a new beginning...Don't let Shawn's death be the end of you, Daryl...He wouldn't have wanted that. He loved you too much to see you die with him..." Slowly beginning to walk backwards, Beth never dropped eye contact with him "...Let it be the start of something new... _That's_  what Shawn would have wanted..."

And with that, she walked away.  
 **… **…** **…****

The sun was just beginning to go down when Beth cycled down the familiar dirt road towards the Farm House. A road which she had travelled down almost every day for as long as she could remember. Glancing at the fields she couldn't help but smile at the memories of her, Shawn and Maggie running around as kids. Hiding from their parents in the long grass.

She remembered the summer when Shawn had spent almost every day trying to climb the old tree on the outskirts of the farm. He had been adamant that he was making a tree swing for them all; without the help of his Daddy. The day he had finally managed to get up to the perfect branch and tie the long rope he got stuck. Hershel was called in for assistance after all. Later that day Shawn had presented him with a 'medal' of bravery.

As Beth approached the house, she was surprised to see it in darkness, her parents cars gone. Skidding to a halt she dismounted her bike, pushing it to the side of the house before making her way over to Fred The Leg's spot where Maggie and Glenn sat talking.

"What's goin' on?" Beth asked, glancing back at the house "Where is everyone?"

"Momma and Daddy are away to see Father Stokes." Maggie croaked out, her cheeks tear stained as Glenn lovingly rubbed her back "Did you find Daryl?"

"Yeah..." She mumbled in reply, taking a seat next to them on the grass "Found him at Otis'..."

Glenn couldn't help but shake his head a little. A feeling of dread building up within him at the mention of the name. He'd been to Otis' only twice before. Once, last Fourth to have a few drinks with Daryl. The second time to try and talk the local sheriff into letting him off with a warning after he had gotten into a bit of brawl. Daryl and Otis' didn't mix well.

"Is he OK?" He asked "I mean, is he going to come?"

Beth could only shake her head, the words that Daryl had spoken still ringing in her ears.  _I ain't ready to say goodbye!_  She wasn't going to pretend that Daryl was her favourite person in the world. Wasn't going to try and convince anyone that she loved spending time with the guy. At one point in time she'd say she did...But that had changed.

"I think he just needs time to grieve. We all do...Just..." Beth began, tucking her hair behind her ears "Daryl's not the greatest when it comes to his emotions. He either shuts down completely or all hell breaks loose."

"What kind of state is he in?" Maggie asked with concern.

"Well, goin' by the state of his apartment, I'd say the latter." Beth replied, picking at a blade of grass "Place was trashed...I tried talkin' to him but...I mean we don't get on at the best of times, so I don't know if he even listened to anythin' I had to say..."

Throwing an arm around he shoulders, Maggie pulled her baby sister in for a hug, resting her head against hers as they stared down at Fred The Leg's memorial. The flowers which were planted round about it in full bloom.

"At least you tried, Bethy." Maggie said with a sigh, playing with the ends of the younger girls hair "I'm sure Shawn would have understood."

"Yeah..." She replied with a small smile, kicking the dirt at her feet a little "He would have..."

"Uh, Beth..." Glenn piped in, pointing behind her with a slight smirk "I think he listened..."

Confused, Beth and Maggie turned to see what it was Glenn was pointing at, and to say that they weren't surprised to see who it was would have been a lie. A little rough looking, with his short hair sticking out at all angles, stood Daryl, his trademark angel winged leather vest trailing on the ground behind him. He looked tired. Defeated...But he was there.

"...Ok..." He began, his voice sounding weak as he cleared his throat "I'm in..."

With a smile Maggie got to her feet before running over to him and giving him a hug; Glenn quickly following in her actions. As they pulled him in, Daryl's gaze never left Beth's. A look of sorrow in his stormy blue eyes.

" _Thank you..._ " He mouthed over Maggie's shoulder.

With a small nod, Beth shot him a smile, one which he gently returned. Getting up, she made her way over to the group, immediately enveloping him in a hug of her own.

"No..." She whispered, holding him tight "Thank you..."


	4. Chapter Four

_You only live once,_  
But if you do it right,  
Once is enough

**Chapter Four**

He had managed to laugh that night. He'd felt like shit afterwards, but he had. Daryl Dixon had managed to laugh. They had sat around Fred The Leg's memorial for what felt like hours, each sharing their own personal stories of Shawn. No one dared move until Hershel and Annette had rolled up outside the house. The couple were quiet, exhaustion heavy in their eyes as they had slowly trudged into the house, Annette clutching a tissue tightly to her mouth as Hershel gently guided her inside.

"It's gettin' cold out, kids..." He had called over his shoulder, his voice filled with tiredness "Best be movin' it inside..."

And just like that the mood had shifted.

With groans and sighs the four pulled themselves to their feet, each making their way into the silent house. As Hershel and Annette made their way to bed, Beth led them upstairs to her room; a journey which had never been as difficult for Daryl as it was then, Shawn's room begging him to go in and run away from, all at the same time. With his head down he pushed forward.

Beth's room was exactly how he had remembered it. Girly, frilly and pink. Walking in he couldn't help but smirk a little, the young blonde shooting him daggers as she took a seat on her oversized double bed. Looking round he couldn't help but give a small smile at the little things that screamed 'Beth'. The guitar that sat in the corner. The large world map that hung on the wall; pins sticking into the many cities that she wanted to see, and the heart shaped fairy lights that wrapped round her bed frame...But as girly as the place was it was a breath of fresh air. Much like Shawn's room it screamed happiness...Freedom.

"So guys..." Glenn began, breaking into his thoughts as he ungracefully flopped down into the large white bean bag chair that sat off to the side "How're we actually going to go about doing this? I mean, I highly doubt that we're going to be able to fly to LA with a stolen coffin as carry on."

"We'll drive..." Daryl mumbled, leaning up against the wall as he began to feel the effects of the alcohol "We'll use my truck. Day of the funeral, we'll get there early, load Shawn into the back and be off before anyone's even noticed."

"Ok...And how long do you think it will take to drive to LA?" Maggie sighed, taking a seat next to Beth on the oversized bed "Bodies begin to smell after a while, remember?"

Clearing his throat a little, Daryl shifted from foot to foot, his mind wandering back to all those years ago.

"If he's been prepared for burial..." He began, struggling to force the words out "Then he'll...He'll be embalmed...Embalmed bodies don't smell."

"How d'you know that?" Beth asked, a little taken aback.

"Don't matter." Was his mumbled reply "They just don't..."

Knowing not to push it, Beth turned to look at the map that graced her wall, the distance from Georgia to LA looking to be only finger lengths. How deceiving it was.

"It's goin' to be far..." She began, never looking away from the map as she sleepily ran a hand through her long tresses "What route are we even goin' to take?"

"Well, we'll need to be subtle..." Daryl said, staggering over to the map to look "I mean, we're talkin' a couple of thousand miles here. With a body in the back of the truck, that's goin' to feel even longer. We can't risk gettin' pulled over by the cops..."

"What d'you have in mind?" Maggie asked through a stifled yawn.

"I'm thinkin'..." He said, licking his lips as he continued to stare at the many roads before him "I'm thinkin' we drive up to Missouri. Takes about 12 and half hours. If we take turns drivin', we can make it without stoppin' too much. Once there we cut onto Route 66. Nothin' but open road from there to LA."

"And what about sleeping arrangements?" Glenn asked with a slight nod "It's going to take a good few days to drive The Mother Road."

"We could always camp." Beth chimed in before Daryl could even open his mouth "Save money that way."

He couldn't help but feel a small burst of pride in his chest. Back in the day, Daryl and Shawn had spent many weekends away camping, Beth usually teasing them for being so 'involved in nature' when in reality the money they saved on a motel went on beer and junk food. How times have changed.

"Always knew there was a reason why I liked you Baby Greene." He smirked, Beth returning it with one of her own as she flipped him the bird "But yeah, you're right. Campin's the best option. We're goin' to be on the road for at least four or five days. We'll need to save as much money as we can for gas."

"Well, if we all put our savin's together, I'm sure we'll have enough for the journey there and back." Maggie replied with a stretch, once again trying to force back a yawn as she pulled herself off the bed "Anyway guys, it's gettin' real late. I'm goin' to bed."

"Yeah me too..." Glenn said, hauling himself out of the bean bag, his spine giving off a sickly popping noise as he stretched "Got a big couple of days coming up. Going to need all the energy we can get."

"Agree with you there, man..." Daryl murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took his position against the wall once again "I'm goin' to be  _so_ hungover in the mornin'."

"Good night's sleep is what you need." Maggie said, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she pulled Glenn out the room "Night guys."

With a mumbled 'goodnight', the two were left alone; something which Beth was becoming hyper-aware of. With a disgruntled moan, Daryl heaved himself up, the room spinning as he slowly began to trudge towards the bed. With eyes following his every move, Beth could only scoff as he collapsed face first onto the soft mattress, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips as he peeked up at her through one eye.

"Ah..." He sighed, snuggling deeper into the mattress "Much better."

"Ugh, no way! Uh-uh. No! You are not stayin' in here." She said with a smirk, nudging him slightly "Go sleep in Shawn's room if you have to stay!"

"Oh no!" Daryl replied quickly, forcing himself to sit up "No way."

"What about the couch, then?" Beth spoke up, pointing towards the door "Go sleep on it!"

"That thing which Satan himself designed in your livin' room!? " Daryl exclaimed, lying back down with his arms tucked neatly under his head " _That_  is not a couch. A couch does not molest you with it's springs while you sleep."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Beth could only glare at him. His exaggerated wriggling on her bed to get 'comfy', doing nothing but fuel the rage that was slowly building up within her. The last thing that she needed (or wanted for that matter), was Daryl Dixon's ass groove embedded into her mattress. With a groan, Beth got to her feet and marched over to her closet, throwing the doors open before grabbing the spare pillows and blankets that sat up top and launching them at him with as much force as she could muster up.

"Fine! Stay the damn night!" She cried receiving a devilish smirk from Daryl "But you're sleepin' on the floor."

Chuckling slightly, Daryl slowly got up, throwing his 'bed' down in a heap before shrugging off his vest, shirt and t-shirt. With a scoff, Beth quickly averted her gaze as she made her way to her dresser, the sound of Daryl's jeans hitting the floor ringing in her ears.

"You better not look when I'm changin'." She warned, pulling her sleep clothes out "I mean it, Daryl."

"Stop worryin' will you?" He grumbled; glad that she couldn't see his growing smile as he set up a bed for himself "...I've seen you in less than you're underwear."

"Yeah, and you've also seen me in more." She blushed, quickly making work on her clothes while he was distracted "You know, I really wish you'd stop bringin' that up, Daryl..." All humour leaving her voice as she finished pulling her top on "We said we were goin' to forget about it."

"No..." He corrected, climbing under the covers that she had tossed him " _You_ said we were goin' to forget about it.  _I_  didn't say a thing."

Feeling her annoyance rise again, Beth hit the lights, darkness engulfing the room as she climbed into her own bed. Staring up at the ceiling she couldn't help but think back to the year before. To the spring that had changed her relationship with Daryl completely.

"I know that you don't like me too much, Beth." Daryl spoke out into the darkness, snapping Beth out of her daze "Sometimes I think I can understand why."

"Daryl, stop..." She cut in, turning away from him in an effort to end the conversation "Let's just go to sleep."

"No, listen for two seconds..." He carried on, shifting slightly from his position on the floor "I may never find out what it was that made you close off on me so suddenly after that night, and I can learn to accept that, but one thing that I struggle with is the fact that...we were kinda like friends before we started datin'."

"Four dates is not classified as 'dating', Daryl..." Beth replied, her nervousness evident in her voice.

It was the same answer she had given Shawn that last night on the porch.

"Beth..." He all but barked "All I'm gettin' at is that we've acted more like friends in the last 24 hours than we have in the last year...and, maybe I'm hopin' for too much here...but after all this is over with Shawn...after he's been put to rest...I'd kinda like that to continue. Takes up too much damn energy fightin' all the time, and I don't know about you but I'm not really keen on the idea of bein' stuck on the longest road trip in history of mankind while arguin' with the person next to me the whole time."

"...Yeah..." She sighed, sitting up to look down at him through the darkness "Me neither. If it's one thing that I've learned recently it's that life is far too cruel and short to waste time on the silly little things."

Sitting up himself, Daryl couldn't help but smile at the memory of his best friend.

"You know..." He began, a hint of a chuckle in his voice as he thought back "When Shawn found out he was dyin', he used to say to me 'You only live once, Daryl. But if you do it right, once is enough'. I swear, every time he said that to me, I wanted to beat his ass so bad..." Beth could only giggle "But now, the more I think about it the more I realise just how right he was...Shawn never held anythin' against anyone. Never argued with people. Never talked shit about no one neither. He chose to actually  _live_ life. He did it right. The time most people spend complainin' and bitchin', he spent livin'."

"Makes you sit and think, huh?" She asked, the memories of her brother bringing her a sense of peace "When it's time for us to go...just how much livin' did we actually do?"

"Yeah..." Daryl said with a whisper "I don't want to look back on my life wishin' I could do it over again."

"Is that why you changed your mind?" Beth asked, playing with the ends of her hair.

"Yeah." He replied "When you found me in that bar...what you said...Reminded me of that little sayin' he had."

They went silent. Each sitting in the darkness with thoughts of Shawn.

"Y'know, for what it's worth Daryl..." Beth began, breaking the quietness "I don't hate you...and I really am glad that you're here..."

"Me too..." He smiled, lying back into his pillows "Shawn also told me one other thing before he passed..."

"Really?" Beth asked in wonder "What was it?"

"He told me that he wanted nothin' more than for me to be happy, and for that to happen...you were to show me your boobs one last time."

Rolling her eyes, Beth launched her pillow at him, Daryl laughing as she lay back down to sleep.

"And the moments gone." She mumbled, fighting back her smirk.

"Hey." He chuckled, throwing her pillow back at her "Can't blame a guy for tryin'."

"Goodnight, Daryl." She chuckled lightly.

"G'Night, Baby Greene..." He yawned, turning round and burying his face into his pillow "Sweet dreams..."


	5. Chapter Five

_Only those who will risk going too far_   
_can possibly find out how far one can go_

**Chapter Five**

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. Those were the words that were running through Beth's mind as she stared herself down in the long mirror; her small delicate hands shakily brushing over the soft white fabric of her daisy print summer dress as she tried to build up the courage to move from her spot. She had refused point blank to wear black that day. Maggie too, much to their mother's annoyance; but the thought of wearing the colour of death to celebrate someone's life had never sat right with her.

She had been angry the morning after they had congregated in her room. Maggie even more so, when their Mom had announced that Shawn's funeral was to be in only two days time. Annette had sat and talked about the day as if burying a child was an everyday event. Her monotone voice riling Beth up to breaking point. Storming out had been her only solution in the end; Fred The Leg's memorial calling out to her as a place of sanctuary.

She hadn't spoken to Daryl much in those two short days. A couple of texts back and forth between them, but even then it had been brief. When she had woken up that awful morning to see him sound asleep on her floor, she had felt tears burn the back of her eyes. The pain in his face as he slept almost unbearable to watch. She had never really given it much thought in the past, but without Shawn, Daryl was pretty much alone. As long as she'd known him she had never heard him talk about a family. Brother's and Sister's. A Mom and a Dad. Shawn had been the closest thing to family he had, and now he was gone.

"Beth..." Maggie whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts as she peered her head round the door "Daryl's out back with Glenn. He's here to get our stuff. Mines out already."

"Ok..." Beth whispered in return, bending to pick up the only bag she had packed for their journey "Where's Mom and Daddy? Do they know he's here?"

With a shake of the head, Maggie stepped further into the room, gently closing the door behind her before helping Beth with her bag. She wore a simple yellow sun dress. One that Shawn had bought her for her birthday a couple of years ago. She'd remembered thinking it was hideous at the time, yellow never being a colour that she could pull off. Now it was one of her favourites.

"Momma's havin' a shower and Daddy's still in the middle of his mornin' prayers." She replied, clutching onto the bag tightly as Beth grabbed her guitar case "Are you ready for this?" The older Greene sister carried on, gently slinging an arm around the young blonde "Ain't no goin' back once we walk out that door."

"I'm ready." Beth replied with a swift nod of the head, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to keep her nerves at bay "I'm just...a little more terrified than planned."

"...Me too..." Maggie said, a soft smile tugging at her lips "Trust Shawn, eh? Simple never really  _was_  his style."

"Please!" Beth giggled slightly "The damn word wasn't even in his vocabulary."

Laughing slightly, Maggie slung Beth's small bag over her shoulder before quietly opening the door. The immediate silence that greeted them, was something that they were both slowly going to have to get used to. No more waking up in the morning to the sound of Shawn's horrible singing. No more walking down the hallways to hear him and Daryl cursing at their video games every time they blew themselves up. No. There would just be that empty silence that would follow them around.

Peeking out ever so slightly, Beth was pleased to see that the hallway was clear; that first tiny step out of her room feeling like she had just completed the long jump. She couldn't help but feel a little silly as she crept around her own home in secrecy. Never had she remembered the distance from her room to the back door being so far. The hallways seeming to grow with every step she took. But as she gingerly began to lead the way towards the stairs, she could do nothing but roll her eyes as the voice of Shawn humming the Mission Impossible Theme Tune began to ring in her ears.

She couldn't tell if mentally scolding him to 'shut up' was necessary...or just plain crazy.

Without wasting much time, the two girls quickly made their way down the old rickety staircase, the sound of the running shower filling the halls as they hurried towards the kitchen. When the back door came into sight, the sister's almost let out a loud whoop of achievement.

Never in her life had Beth thought that she would be as happy to see Daryl Dixon standing before her as she was then. His smug grin and devilishly handsome looks staring back at her offering proof that she had just committed the most rebellious act of her life. Shawn would have been so proud.

"Oh my gosh, I feel liberated!" Beth sighed, a smile of freedom tugging at her lips.

"Congratulations, Greene." Daryl smirked, making his way over to take her guitar case "You just successfully broke out of your own home."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Beth took her bag from Maggie before they followed him over to the monster of a blue truck that was probably older than the four of them combined. It definitely wasn't much to look at, some of the paint round the wheels having rusted and chipped away over the years. But it had four seats and a large bed, so Beth wasn't being too picky.

Thinking back to the night Daryl had stayed over, she couldn't help but smile a little. He had never been one for serious chats in the past, something she blamed Shawn for since the most serious thing that he had ever discussed was the importance of eating carrots; but as he had laid on that floor opening up, calling a truce almost, she had become convinced that arguing with him was a distant thing of the past.

"I must say, Baby Greene..." He began, snapping her out of her thoughts as he came to a stop by the truck "I'm lovin' the dress. Really brings out the hotness of your legs."

That was until he said things like that, of course.

"Oh, shut up Daryl!" She exclaimed, throwing her bag into the bed of the truck.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" He cried, holding his hands out in alarm as he glanced between the vibrant pink bag and the slightly pissed blonde "Watch the truck! Ok? It's the perfectamount of shitty."

Rolling her eyes, Beth took her Hummingbird from Daryl before carefully loading it in next to the rest of the bags and camping gear. She hadn't originally planned on taking it, but the thought of spending the nights round the campfire listening to Glenn tell his interpretation of 'jokes' was enough to change anyone's mind.

"You two better play nice or you'll get a time out." Glenn cut in with a smirk, Maggie quietly stifling a smirk at his side "Honestly...You'd never have guessed that you guys dated."

"Four dates is  _not_  CLASSIFIED AS 'DATING'!" Beth cried, her hands flailing about as Daryl let out an amused chuckle.

"How about..." Maggie interjected, placing her hands gently on Beth's shoulders to calm her "We just all get in the truck and head to the church before someone gets hurt...sound good?"

"Ok..." Beth sighed with a soft nod, Daryl opening the passenger door for her.

"Hey, can I ask something?" Daryl began, walking round to the drivers side as Maggie and Glenn got in "Why is Father Stokes burying Shawn. Thought your family was Christian."

Climbing in, Daryl slammed his door shut, the old engine immediately roaring to life before he pulled out onto the dirt road.

"Daddy's Christian." Beth replied with a nod "He used to take us to Sunday school every week. Momma was raised Catholic, and Father Stokes is a long time family friend. Plus, I think he's the only person who could do a service at such short notice."

With a nod of his own, Daryl pulled out onto the main road, the Farmhouse becoming smaller and smaller as he looked back through the rear view mirror. He couldn't help but smile a little, the place holding so many memories that brought him a joy he never believed he would ever experience. He remembered when he had the privilege of meeting the rest of the Greene Family for the first time. He and Shawn had just started hanging out at the time. Shawn had only been 16 and Daryl was just coming up on 21st birthday. They had been out at a party by the old creek, the plans being that Daryl could meet the family and stay the night if they were back by 10pm. 2 in the morning is when they had pulled up outside the house.

The place had been in darkness when they arrived back, Daryl having nightmares of Mr. Greene sitting up waiting for them with his shotgun in hand. If cancer didn't kill his friend first, his Daddy sure would. But Shawn, ever the optimist, had insisted that everything would be fine; and for a brief moment, Daryl had believed him...That was until he announced that he had forgotten his key. With the place locked up tighter than a drum, Daryl had walked around the house to see if there was an open window anywhere; the only one to be seen on the top floor.

"By George, I've got it!" Shawn had happily exclaimed in a fake British accent "You climb up the trellis, walk along the roof and climb in through the window. That way you can come down stairs and open the front door for me!"

Daryl remembered looking at him as if he grown a second head, his fear of heights not unknown to Shawn.

"Ain't no way in hell I'm climbing up there!" He had cried back "You do it!"

"Can't my friend." Shawn had smiled, tapping his newly attached prosthetic "Unfortunately, Fred the Leg and I ain't quite simpatico at the moment."

With a grunt, Daryl had reluctantly stormed to the trellis, Shawn unable to contain his laughter as the words 'Stupid Shawn with his stupid words that I don't understand' lingering in the night air as he watched his friend very nervously begin to climb. Thankfully for Daryl though, he hadn't fallen. But not everything was going as to plan, for when he reached the roof he had found it near damned impossible to free his torn jeans from the trellis.

Thinking fast he had done the only thing he could think of, and shimmed out of them. All he had to do was get in and then he could borrow a pair of Shawn's. But as Daryl had taken that first step through the open window, clad only in his angel winged vest, work boots and plaid boxers, he was greeted by none other than the ear piercing scream of Annette Greene.

Well, if Hershel hadn't been up before, he sure was then.

Grabbing him by the ear, Hershel had led Daryl out of their bedroom and through the house towards the front door. His pained yelps waking Beth and Maggie from their deep slumber. Covering himself as much as he could, Daryl was led all the way down the stairs to the front door where Hershel had thrown it open, Shawn standing on the other side with a cheerful smile.

"Hey, Dad." He had greeted with a short wave, Hershel standing rather confused as his son had hobbled in past him " I see you've met Daryl."

"Nice to finally meet you Mr. Greene..." Daryl had introduced through a wince, Hershel still holding him by the ear "...Could I please...borrow some pants?"

Never in his life had Daryl remembered being as embarrassed as he was that night. A 14 year old Beth Greene just making matters worse as she had stood at the top of the stairs with her camera phone pointing directly at him. Facebook had been well and truly entertained that night. But as he had awoken the next morning, and rather red faced trudged into the kitchen for breakfast, he was pleasantly surprised when Hershel got up from his seat, shook his hand and greeted him as if it were their first time meeting. They had been like family to him ever since.

Smiling at the memory, Daryl soon found he was pulling up outside the back of the little white church. The green grass and tall trees surrounding it making it look like nothing sad ever took place there. As he killed the engine, he turned to look at his friends. Panic dancing in their eyes.

"Well guys..." Beth said with a sigh, turning round herself "You ready to do this?"

With silent nods, the four slowly got out the truck, each making their way round to the front of the church. There was still an hour till the funeral started, so Maggie texted her Mom to let her know that they had left early to say there final 'goodbyes' in private. Walking into the church and looking around, Beth was pleased to see that the place was empty. The only other car that had been in the parking lot had belonged to that of Father Stokes. With any luck they would be able to get in, grab Shawn and get out without anyone noticing.

"Goodmornin' kids."

Then again, the chances of that happening were slim to none.

Snapping round, the four came face to face with Father Gabriel Stokes, a sad smile tugging at his lips as he clasped his hands tightly in front of himself.

"Aren't you a little...early?" He spoke softly, looking between Beth and Maggie "The service doesn't start for another hour..."

Glancing nervously between themselves, Beth and Maggie were silently arguing over who was to distract him. Fortunately for Beth, she won that argument.

"Actually, Father Stokes..." Maggie began, stepping forward slightly, her voice barely above a whisper "We would just like to have some time with Shawn before the service. None of us really want to say goodbye with everyone sittin' there...Would you mind givin' us a few minutes alone with him?"

"Oh, of course..." Father Stokes replied with a small nod, quickly backing up "I'll just be outside if any of you need me.

"Thank you." Maggie said, a sad smile pulling at her lips.

As Maggie closed the heavy door, Beth let out a sigh of relief. A sigh that she hadn't realised she was holding in. Turning she couldn't help but feel the tears that she had been holding back for the last couple of days burn the back of her eyes, the sight of Shawn's open mahogany casket sitting up front before them, large golden sunflowers laying on top. Shawn loved sunflowers. Called them happy flowers.

Not wanting to move, Beth hastily wiped a stray tear from her cheek, thoughts of turning round and running overtaking her mind. But as Daryl ever so gently reached out and took her hand in his, their fingers intertwining, all those thoughts vanished. With a deep breath the four slowly made their way up the aisle, Daryl continuing to hold onto Beth's hand as they came to a stop by Shawn's casket. He looked so peaceful. The white satin lining matching the shirt their mother had so carefully picked out.

"Oh, Shawn..." Maggie gasped, her voice breaking slightly before she buried her face into Glenn's shoulder.

"Oh, man...Oh, no..." Daryl sighed, his own eyes glassy as he dropped Beth's hand "...Who the  _fuck_  did his make-up!?"

Snapping round, Beth whacked Daryl on the arm. Glenn struggling to hold back his smirk as he continued to rub soothing circles on Maggie's back.

"Ow!" He whined, rubbing his elbow "What the hell was that for?"

"We are in a church, Daryl!" Beth said through clenched teeth "Watch your language.

"Wha - Can you blame me!?" He asked, pointing to his best friend "He looks like he's been attacked by Pennywise!"

Unable to hold his chuckle in any longer, Glenn let out a rather unattractive snort, Maggie snapping up to give him a whack of his own.

"Sorry, Honey." He muttered before turning to face Daryl "Let's just get him out of here guys, we'll argue about this later."

Nodding in agreement, Daryl took one last look at his friend before closing the lid of the casket.

"Beth, could you go open the side door?" Daryl began as he and Glenn went to either end of the casket "Maggie, you keep guard of the front door. Don't let anyone in."

With nods the two sisters took their posts, Beth running to the side door that led out to the truck, propping it open with a stack of hymn books. Peering out she motioned to Daryl and Glenn that the coast was clear.

"Ready, man?" Daryl asked; Glenn giving a firm nod as they gripped onto the casket "Ok...1...2...lift!"

Holding their breaths the two men heaved the casket up, Glenn losing his footing slightly as he knocked over a large standing candle stick. Trying to regain their balance, the two danced around, Daryl cursing slightly when they almost dropped the coffin.

"Damn! How much did you weigh, Shawn!?" He muttered through clenched teeth.

"Hurry guys." Beth whispered, glancing back out the door "Hurry before someone comes."

"Right, Glenn..." Daryl panted out "Keep walkin' backwards, Ok? Beth, stand out the way, babe."

Moving out from the doorway, Beth watched as Daryl and Glenn less than gracefully manoeuvred Shawn and his casket out the side door, Glenn once again stumbling while Daryl managed to step on his own foot. Waving to Maggie to come join her, Beth quickly pulled her sister out of the church, Daryl and Glenn setting Shawn's casket down at the side of the truck.

"He's...a heavy son-of-a-bitch..." Daryl panted, wiping his brow with his forearm as he propped himself up against the side of the truck.

"Screw it..." Glenn puffed out, bent over as he tried to regain his breathing "When I die...just bury me..."

Smirking slightly, Maggie lowered the tailgate to the truck, both Daryl and Glenn groaning when they realised they had to pick their beloved friend up once again.

"C'mon, boys." The brunette joked, patting her boyfriend's shoulder for encouragement "Hard part's almost over."

Glaring at her slightly, Glenn and Daryl both bent to pick Shawn up once again, both Beth and Maggie standing off to the side trying to keep their laughter at bay.

"Oh, lord..." Maggie whispered behind her hand, Beth biting back a slight chuckle as she watched the two "It's like watchin' two Ice Capades take seizures off the rink."

"I heard that, Greene." Daryl barked as they heaved Shawn up into the back of the truck.

It was a tight fit with everything from guitars to caskets crammed into the back of the truck; Daryl slightly amazed that they had actually managed to fit everything in in the end. Aware that time was pressing on, he quickly pulled the tarp out from the mountain of bags that lay next to Shawn, and with the help of Glenn the two got to work at covering the bed. Thankfully that task was just  _slightly_  easier than loading a coffin into the back.

"Ok..." Daryl sighed, quickly pulling Beth to the passenger side "Everyone get in."

Not wasting any time, the four quickly jumped into the truck, Daryl immediately firing the engine up before pulling out onto the main road like a mad man. They could do nothing but sit in silence, the whole thing beginning to sink in as they headed on down the street. They had just successfully stolen a body. Shawn's body! Sitting back in her seat, Beth could do nothing but let out a small laugh, Daryl turning to look at her with a small smirk.

"We did it, Shawn..." She smiled, closing her eyes as her body began to relax "...We did it."  
 **…**

**A/N: Well there you have it guys. They've finally pinched the body lol. Please leave a wee review and let me know what you thought. Thanks :)**

**Also guys, here I'm going to include the Soundtrack to this story. I personally like to listen to music when reading, and the songs that I have picked have been a great influence when writing this. It's kinda nice re-reading it while listening to them. So here you are :)**

1\. Say – John Mayer  
2\. World Spins Madly On – The Weepies  
3\. Photograph – Nickleback  
4\. What You Wanted – OneRepublic  
5\. The Road To Happiness – Able To Fly  
6\. When Can I See You Again? - Owl City  
7\. Route 66 – John Mayer  
8\. We're On Our Way – Radical Face  
9\. A Lifetime – Better Than Ezra  
10\. Life In Colour – OneRepublic  
11\. Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World  
12\. Can't Go Back Now – The Weepies  
13\. Life Is Beautiful – Vega4  
14\. Stubborn Love – The Lumineers  
15\. Gone – Ian Axel  
16\. 10,000 Miles – Mary Chapin Carpenter  
17\. Los Angeles – Peter Bradley Adams  
18\. Little Wonders – Rob Thomas


	6. Chapter Six

_The biggest mistakes you'll ever make in life,_   
_Are the risks you were too scared to take._

**Chapter Six**

Breathing was the only thing Daryl Dixon felt he could successfully do at that particular moment in time, without wrapping his truck round a tree, or taking a mental breakdown. His mind was unable to focus on anything else  _but_  breathing as he powered on down the road, Beth's word's ringing loud and clear in his head as he quickly swerved round the corner.

Like a foghorn calling out to sea, all he could hear was  _'We did it...We did it...We did it...',_ and if it hadn't shocked him before, it did then. They _had_  done it! Something which, if he was totally honest, had left him completely dumbfounded. He couldn't think...He couldn't speak...Hell, he was impressed that he had been able to drive to the end of the street without killing anyone. He could only hope the rest of the journey went by in the same way.

With a drawn out breath, Daryl frantically looked between the road in front of him and his cracked rearview mirror, his vice-like grip on the steering wheel slowly beginning to slacken when he saw that no police cars or deranged priests were following closely behind.

"You know..." He finally managed to spit out, glancing over at an  _annoyingly_  relaxed Beth "I've stolen some  _pretty_  crazy shit in the past...but this...this tops it."

"Oh man, we need to go back..." Glenn cut in, Maggie clutching tightly onto his shaky hand "I think I dropped my colon back there when I shit myself..."

Poor guy looked to be one step away from entering into a catatonic state.

Letting out a small giggle, Beth turned in her seat to face her friends, neither one of them looking as composed as she felt. With a gentle smile she reached out and took hold of Maggie's free hand, the wide eyed brunette slowly turning to face her little sister with newly found shock dancing behind her green orbs. Squeezing her hand softly, Beth's brilliant smile began to grow, the happiness etched across her delicate features forcing a wave of relaxation to wash over the oldest Greene sister.

"We did it, Maggie..." Beth whispered once again, Maggie's grip on her hand slackening as she finally let the smile which was threatening to tug at her lips, break forth "We actually  _did_  it."

She couldn't hold back the burst of laughter that escaped past her lips. It was a sound that Maggie had never thought that she would ever be capable of again after seeing her younger brother inside that box. The white satin framing his equally pale face. But with eyes brimming with tears, her laughter continued to fill the small space of the truck, Daryl glancing at her through the rearview with a hint of confusion in his stormy blues.

"Hey, has she lost it?" He mumbled to Beth, the young blonde rolling her eyes slightly as Maggie continued to smile.

"No..." Maggie chuckled, wiping a tear away as she tried desperately to contain herself "No...It's just...This is the most bondin' the five of us, includin' Shawn, have done together in the _longest_  time...And to think...to think, we could all end up in a jail cell by the end of it if the slightest thing goes wrong!"

With a loud snort, Maggie's laughter once again erupted; not the most attractive thing in the world if Daryl was totally honest. Growing a sickly shade of pale, Glenn snapped his attention between the still smiling Beth and his slightly deranged girlfriend, his eyes getting wider as the prospect of prison sunk in. Leaning forward, he hastily began to tap Daryl on the shoulder.

"Prison?" He squeaked out, his voice quivering slightly "Do you really think we could go to jail if we get caught? I mean, people like me don't do well in prison, Daryl! I'll be passed round for cigarettes...I'll have my tater tots stolen every day at lunch...I'll...I'll..." With a gasp his hands flew to his clammy face "I'll become someone's  _bitch_ , Daryl!"

With a small giggle, Beth leaned over and gently nudged Glenn, his brown eyes wide with fear as he snapped round to face her.

"Relax, will you?" She laughed, the sound bringing a small smile to Daryl's lips "Ain't no one goin' to be arrested or made into someone's 'bitch'."

"Oh yeah?" Glenn asked, panic still filling his voice as he sat back in his seat a little, his knee bouncing rapidly up and down "And how can you be so sure of that?"

Sitting back herself, Beth crossed her arms over her chest, her sweet smile causing a warmth to run throughout Daryl's entire body.

"'Cause, silly..." She replied, running a hand through her long hair as she rolled her bright blue eyes once again "This technically ain't stealin'."

"Something tells me the law doesn't quite have the same views there, Beth." Glenn mumbled, a now more mellow Maggie wrapping an arm round his shoulders in an effort to keep him calm.

"True..." She agreed with a slight nod, clasping her hands in front of her before beaming once again " _But_  once Momma and Daddy read the letter, they'll understand completely and won't even dream about callin' the cops."

"Letter?" Daryl finally spoke up, his brows knitted together in even more confusion as he processed what Beth had just said "What letter?"

"Oh...last night I wrote and stuck a letter to the fridge to let Momma and Daddy know what we were doin'." The young blonde replied with that same radiant smile.

But this time no smile of Beth's was going to calm him. Without hesitating, Daryl slammed on the breaks, the old truck emanating a sickening squeal as it came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. Jerking forward in her seat, Beth turned and shot Daryl an angry look, the worn seat belt leaving a red tinge to her neck. But before she could open her mouth to ask (or yell at) him, what the hell he thought he was doing, she was cut off by the raging chorus of Daryl, Glenn and Maggie crying out to her in perfect unison.

"You...did... _what_!?"

...And that had definitely not been the reaction she was going for...

**…** **…** **…**

Annette Greene could not remember a time in her life where she had wanted to do nothing more than spend the entire day in bed with the blankets pulled tightly over her head. It had taken everything she had to force herself up that morning. The thought of hiding away from the rest of the world seemed to be the most appealing thing she had encountered in what felt like forever. The large patchwork quilt that lay atop her bed crying out with a promise of protection from all the ' _I'm terribly sorry for your loss..._ 's that she knew awaited her that day. She didn't want to deal with the solemn tilt of the head from her family and friends as they shook her hand at the end of the service. Didn't want to deal with the awkward silences when Shawn's name was brought up at the afternoon tea. She just wanted tomorrow.

Hershel was already up by the time she had heaved herself out of bed. He was no doubt in his study reading the Word and talking to God, something she felt she had been neglecting as of recent. With a heavy heart, she had slowly trudged to the bathroom, her gaze lingering just that little bit longer on Shawn's room door as she passed. His absence was something she never thought she would ever be able to get used to.

After her shower (another place where she would have been happy to stay the whole day) Annette began the difficult task of preparing herself for her sons funeral. She had no idea what she was going say when her time came to stand and address the guests. 'Thank you for coming' tasted like poison on her lips; because in reality she wasn't thankful. The only person she wanted was the person she was laying to rest in that church yard.

Feeling fresh tears burn the back of her eyes, Annette let out a straggled breath. One she hadn't even realised she had been holding in. Finding the courage to pull out the simple black dress that sat in the back of her closet, she finished getting dressed, the piercing sound of her cell phone beeping snapping her out of her thoughts. Zipping up the dress, she reluctantly grabbed her cell, the thought of opening the new text message causing her stomach to churn. Reading the generic 'Remember we're here for you' texts from a person she barely saw was the last thing that Annette wanted to face, but as she opened the flashing message she was surprised to see it was from Maggie.

_Mom,_

_Beth and I left early for the church.  
_ _We wanted to say Goodbye in private._

_I love you,_

_M x_

With a small sigh of relief, Annette quietly tucked her cell phone into her matching black purse before throwing on her cardigan and making her way out of the room. With another hour until the funeral started, she went in search of Hershel.

Knocking softly on the door to the study, Annette silently popped her head round to find her husband with his eyes closed and head bowed, his old battered bible sitting open in his lap. She couldn't help but admire him for staying so strong. There was no doubt that he was hurting. With eyes fluttering open, Hershel looked up at his wife, a sad smile tugging at his lips as she stepped further into the room.

"Maggie and Bethy have left already" She croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper as she played with a loose thread on the cuff of her cardigan "Think they're needin' some alone time before the service starts."

Nodding slightly, Hershel closed his bible over, an old picture from a seven year old Shawn falling out to his feet. With his smile growing slightly, he bent to pick the old piece of artwork up, a small chuckle escaping past his lips as he stared down at the drawing of him with his family. As far as he was concerned that messy drawing was the best family portrait anyone could have ever created.

"They really were the best of friends..." He smiled, his gaze never leaving the stick figures of his children "They'd have gone to any lengths to please each other. A sibling bond like that is a hard one to come by."

"It's a blessin'..." Annette agreed, wiping a silent tear from her cheek before Hershel could see "I...I'm goin' to stick on a pot of tea before we head. Want some?"

"...Just a half cup, Hon." He replied softly, is wife's tears not going unnoticed by him.

With a brisk nod, Annette about turned and headed straight for the kitchen, her small heels clicking on the hardwood floor masking the soft whimpers that were threatening to spill out. A little flustered, she quickly filled the teapot before sticking it on the stove, the only sound coming from the hissing gas hob as the flames licked at the tarnished brass.

Leaning up against the worktop, Annette softly pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose in an effort at keeping her tears at bay. Now was not the time for tears. After. With a strangled sigh, she looked up to check on the stove, the sound of the water bubbling away cutting through her thoughts. But as she did, out of the corner of her eye, her attention was caught by an envelope stuck to the fridge with an old magnet. Confused, she walked over and took it down, the word's  _Momma and Daddy_ written on the front in Beth's neat cursive. Without missing a beat, she opened it to find a letter written on a piece of floral paper from her daughter's writing set.

 _Dear Momma and Daddy..._ it began, Beth's soft voice ringing clearly in her ears.

_I'll be honest in saying that I didn't really know how to start this letter. 'Dear' just sounded so common when talking to you guys that I didn't want to use it. But in the end I figured that the term 'dear' was exactly how I view the two of you, so what was the harm?_

_It's been so quiet round here lately. Even as I sit here writing this I find myself missing the usual noise coming from Shawn's room round about this time. Maggie yelling at him to 'knock it off' while he 'sings' This Little Light of Mine. It's funny the things you take for granted when they're no longer there._

_He was always a breath of fresh air, Shawn was. A little light burning bright even in the darkest of times. Everything he said, everything he did...He always knew how to make you smile._

With her tears freely falling now, Annette could only smile at the accurate picture her youngest had painted.

 _Shawn wouldn't hesitate to do anything for you_...She carried on reading.

_Like, when I was 8 and had the chicken pox. Remember that? None of my friends were allowed over to play Barbie's and I was really upset...But Shawn...Shawn cancelled the plans he had made with his friends to go to the movie's so he could stay home and play with them with me. That day is one I'll never forget._

_I know by now you're probably wondering why I've written you this letter. I have no doubt that these traits of Shawn's hadn't gone unnoticed by the two of you. You cared so deeply for him...We all did...But because we did care...well, that is the reason why this letter has been so necessary._

_The night Shawn passed, I was blessed with spending one last time out on the porch with him. There, he shared some wonderful things with me regarding his views on life. Views I had never even known about. Could never even have comprehended...I think he must have known that his time was short, you know? That his journey was coming to an end soon, because before we came inside he shared one final thing with me that I knew I would never be able to forget. He shared with me his final wish! A wish so crazy and bizarre that never in a million years could you ever picture it happening. He shared with me that he didn't want to be buried. Stuck in a box forever...He wanted to be 'dancin' in the wind'...Cremated. Doesn't sound too crazy, right? But Shawn...he didn't want to be cremated just anywhere. No. He wanted to be cremated in the one place where he had felt the most free in his whole life. He wanted to be cremated on the beach in LA._

With a feeling of panic building up within her, Annette found she was almost too scared to carry on reading. But with a deep breath, knowing that that wasn't an option she carried on...

_I tried to tell you, but you were so upset you couldn't listen. At that moment I didn't know what to do. I just couldn't be settled knowing that my big brother was going to be buried. I couldn't find it in myself to accept it...but then it hit me. What if_ _**I** _ _gave Shawn his last wish!? I had the chance to make it a reality!_

_Maggie hadn't been too thrilled at the start, but she soon came around. Daryl too. Right from the beginning, Glenn had thought it was perfect. That it was the perfect way to say 'goodbye'..._

_So that's why we did it. That's why we went to the church early. We wanted to give Shawn his last wish. Drive him to LA. We knew it would be a big risk, but in the end...the biggest mistakes you'll ever make in life are the risks you were too scared to take._

_Like I said, Shawn didn't hesitate before doing anything for us...That's why we're doing this for him._

_We love you and we'll see you soon,_

_Beth x_

Slack jawed, Annette slowly looked up from the letter, the words that she had just read and re-read running wild in her mind as she tried to process what her youngest daughter had just confessed to. Dropping the flimsy paper from her grasp, Annette staggered backwards, the once boiling teapot whistling away in the background. But she couldn't focus on that. She couldn't focus on anything really. All she could do, was scream.

"HERSHEL!"  
 **…** **…** **…**

Beth couldn't remember a time in her life where she had felt as uncomfortable as she did then, the angry and shocked glares from her sister and friends boring into her making her want to do nothing but crawl under a rock and hide. With a sheepish grin she turned to Daryl, his eyes wide with disbelief as he replayed her admission over and over again in his mind. Groaning he bumped his head against the steering wheel, only to pick it up and do it again and again before snapping back up to face her.

"A letter!?" He finally bellowed, Beth slinking back slightly from his loud cry "We just stole a body and you write a fuckin'  _letter_  to say  _why_!?"

"Beth, what the  _hell_ were you thinkin'!?" Maggie cried, running her hands through her hair.

"I was thinkin' that Mom and Dad might notice somethin's wrong when they turn up for their son's funeral and he doesn't!" She cried back, a little confused as to why everyone was so annoyed "We'll be long gone before they even realise it! What did you expect me to do?"

"We expected you to let them put two and two together when they realised that  _we_  weren't there either!" Daryl shrieked before following Maggie's actions in running a hand through his own hair "Oh my- A LETTER!? Really!?"

"It was touching!" Beth shot back with a glare, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned to stare out the front window.

"It was fuckin'  _crazy_! That's what it was!" Daryl yelled back, his hands flailing about before his head once again found solace on the steering wheel "Ugh, and now they know where we're headed. It's over. It's already over."

With thoughts running wild, Glenn looked between Daryl and Beth, Maggie quietly muttering beside him.

"Look on the bright side..." He began calmly "It was  _their_  daughter's who stole  _their_  son's body...At least Beth was right in saying they won't call the cops."

"But they will catch the next flight to LA to stop us, Glenn!" Maggie gasped, turning to face her boyfriend "They'll be flyin' over Kansas before we're even out of the State!"

And at that, Beth giggled once again, everyone turning to look at her in bewilderment as she threw her head back in laughter.

"Please do share, Beth in what the hell is so funny." Daryl muttered through gritted teeth.

Turning to face him, Beth's laughter died down, her once annoyed expression now long gone.

"Oh my gosh, did you guys really think I was  _that_  stupid?" She chuckled, tucking a stray curl behind her ear "Yeah, I left them a letter  _but_ I also took a leaf out of Daryl's book before doin' so."

"What d'you mean?" Daryl asked in confusion while sitting up a little straighter.

"You said so yourself that you've stolen some pretty crazy s-h-i-t in the past..." Beth smirked, rummaging around in the pocket of her dress before pulling out the hidden items and throwing them down on the dashboard "Tell me, has your parent's passports ever been one of them?"


	7. Chapter Seven

_Death is just life's next big adventure_

**Chapter Seven**

Nobody really knew what to say as they sat staring down at the swiped passports lying on the dashboard, Beth's proud grin leaving them all a little speechless as they tried to gather their thoughts together. Looking up at the young blonde, Daryl couldn't help but find her whole demeanour rather amusing. Her arms crossed triumphantly over her chest as she continued to deliver the  _I'm a genius_  look.

For as long as he had known Beth, he had always placed her under the category of 'Good Girl'. But for him, that wasn't a bad thing. Hell, it was probably one of the many reasons why he liked her so damn much in the first place. He remembered the time she had 'borrowed' a packet of his cigarettes. She had just turned 16, and in her words was 'desperate to break out of her shell'. One draw in and she had burst into floods of tears, the thoughts of how disappointed her Momma and Daddy would be, plaguing her. As she had handed him back the packet and the slightly singed single, all she could chant through her hysterics was a multitude of apologies. So to see her so enthralled with her latest 'crime' was definitely a change of tune.

"Well, Baby Greene..." Daryl began, rubbing the scruff on his chin as he sat back in his seat "I...I gotta admit it, I'm impressed...Passports and stiff all in one day."

"Why, thank you Mr. Dixon." Beth beamed, pocketing the passports once again.

"Yeah, there's only one little problem with your plan though, Bethy." Maggie chimed in, leaning forward between the two front seats "And that is, that you don't actually  _need_ a passport to travel within the United States. All Momma and Daddy are goin' to need is photographic ID like, oh I don't know..."

"...A drivers licence..." Daryl huffed out with a sigh, his head falling forward to hit the steering wheel for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

Glenn looked like he could quite happily batter his own head off of the side window right there and then, the thought of Annette and Hershel calling the cops on them after all suddenly seeming quite plausible. But Beth once again just smiled, that same little giggle rumbling deep in her chest bursting forth. Oh, how he was quickly beginning to hate that giggle.

"And here we go with the craziness again." Daryl quietly muttered before averting his gaze out the window.

"Craziness? Puh-lease." Beth replied with a roll of the eyes, her hand disappearing inside her other pocket "I'm just continuously surprised that you guys think I'm your typical 'dumb blonde'." With a smile and a gentle shrug of the shoulders she pulled yet another mystery item from her pocket "But nope. I'm sorry to tell you, I was smart...Stole their licence's too."

Snapping round, Daryl was shocked to see the smiling faces of Annette and Hershel Greene on the tiny pieces of plastic staring back at him, Beth's own smile mirroring theirs perfectly. Feeling his own tug at the lips, Daryl let out a hearty laugh before leaning over, grabbing Beth and planting a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Beth, you klepto, I love you!" He cried, pulling back and taking the licences from her still outstretched hand to have a closer look.

With a blush creeping up her cheeks, Beth turned in her seat to see Maggie and Glenn visibly relax; Glenn throwing his head back and heaving out a sigh of relief as all thoughts of the colour orange left his mind. Turning back round to face Daryl, Beth leaned over and took back her parent's licences, the proud look on Daryl's face causing her to shoot him a toothy grin.

"So Mr. Dixon..." She smirked, sitting up straighter in her seat as she looked out at the road in front of her "Shall we continue on with our journey, or do you still feel it's 'already over'?"

"Well..." Daryl smirked, shifting the truck into first "We've already committed Grand Theft Shawn. Would be a shame to give up now, so I say...To LA!"

With a loud cheer coming from his friends, Daryl pulled the truck out from it's abandoned spot on the road and pressed on, a quick glance in his rearview bringing a smile to his lips when he saw nothing but empty road behind him. But as his mind started to wander, that small smile soon began to fade; the treacherous tears, once again, burning the back of eyes as he drove further and further to the towns edge, the old rusted ' _Hurry Back Soon_ 'sign calling out to him from up ahead.

Brows knitted together and concern filling her eyes, Beth gently reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. She could feel his muscles clench under her touch, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as the truck began to slow down.

"You Ok, Daryl?" She quietly asked, her hand never moving from its resting place.

"Yeah..." He replied in much the same tone, his eyes darting back to look at her "It's just...I know that Shawn always wanted to travel. 'See the world'...and yeah, he got to see some of it...but in the end, he'd always come home...It's just...it's hit me that this time...he ain't comin' home..."

With a sad smile, Beth gently squeezed Daryl's shoulder as he turned to look out in front of him once again, her fingers slowly brushing against his skin before her hand fell back into her lap. Her heart lurched as she watched him briskly wipe away a stray tear, both Glenn and Maggie quietening down in the back as Daryl's words hit them.

"No, he's not..." Beth whispered in agreement, struggling to string the words together that would hopefully bring him some sense of comfort "But...try lookin' at it this way..." She finally managed to push out before reaching over to him once again "This time he's not comin' home, 'cause he's gone out to see the rest of the world..."

Glancing at her out the corner of his eye, Daryl couldn't help breath out a small smirk.

"...Thanks, Beth..." He whispered back.

"You're welcome" She replied with a soft nod before turning her attention back out to the road in front of her "It's funny, y'know...death doesn't mean everythin' in life is over..." She could feel her smile grow as the truck began to gain speed once again "...Death is just life's next big adventure..."

And with that, ' _Hurry Back Soon_ ' flew by.

**…** **…** **…**

To say that Annette Greene was less than amused would be grossly understated, for if it were physically possible for a persons head to do a 360 turn, hers most likely would.

"Hershel!" She screamed once again, her eyes threatening to pop out her skull at any given moment.

Breathing erratically and with hands wound tightly in her hair, she continued to stare down at the flowery note her youngest had (so kindly) left. She couldn't stop her stomach from flipping as she backed up into the fridge, the boiling teapot on the stove long forgotten as Beth's words continued to call out to her.  _We wanted to give Shawn his last wish...Drive him to LA..._

Knee's buckling slightly, she dove to the floor and snatched the letter back up. Re-reading it again would hopefully prove to her that what she had just gathered had only been a figment of her imagination. A horrible trick of the mind from her lack of sleep. Re-reading it again would prove to her that Beth and Maggie weren't in the middle of hauling her son's casket across country, but instead were at the church waiting patiently for the service to begin. Glenn and Daryl by their sides. But the more she read, the more the words hit her. With the power of an oncoming truck, did they hit her.

"HERSHEL!" She bellowed, the paper shaking ferociously in her hands.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Hershel's panicked voice called out from the hallway "What's wrong? What's the matter?"

Hurrying into the kitchen, he was stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his wife sitting on the floor looking less than graceful. With hair everywhere, and legs stretched out in front of her, she snapped up to look at him; her blue eyes wide as she waved the flowery paper under his nose, pointing at it furiously as a multitude of incoherent babbling escaped past her lips.

"They...They..." She finally managed to stutter out as he gingerly took the letter from her outstretched hand, the disbelief dancing behind her eyes quickly turning to anger "I'm goin' to  _kill_  them!"

Confused, Hershel stepped back a little before turning his attention to the letter, his daughter's handwriting immediately jumping out at him. In silence he stood and read the note, turning the page over a few times before calmly folding it in half and sitting it on the table. Crossing his arms, Hershel placed a finger to his lips, his brows knitted together in deep concentration as Annette continued to stare up at him (slack jawed) from the floor.

"Well...It would seem..." He finally began with a soft voice, his finger gently tapping against his top lip "That our daughters have... _taken_...Shawn..."

"...Gee, Hershel, I wonder what gave it away!" Annette cried, pulling herself to her feet as she brushed her dress down.

Grabbing the letter from the table, she powered out of the kitchen towards the living room; Hershel quickly following behind her as she frantically raced for the telephone, her foot catching on the old fraying rug in the hallway as she went. With a huff, she absently staggered into the living room and snatched up the phone. Hershel could only feel sorry for the buttons as they came on the receiving end of her wrath, Annette battering each one with as much force as she could muster up.

"I'm callin' Father Stokes." She muttered over her shoulder, all the while holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she once again fumbled about with the letter "Maybe they're still there. Or maybe he caught them...I swear Hershel, they get this rebellious streak from your side of the family."

"Of course they do." Hershel mumbled quietly to himself as he collapsed onto the lumpy sofa "Everyone on your side has a stick shoved so far up their ass I'm surprised they ain't got a pack of wild dogs chasin' after them."

Tutting slightly, Annette began to impatiently tap her foot, her gaze snapping to the clock on the wall. Half an hour had passed since Maggie had texted her. She couldn't deny that the chances of Father Stokes catching them in the act were slim to none, but after four rings, he finally picked up.

" _Annette._ " Came his soft greeting " _How are you? Are you and Hershel on your way over? Don't worry, no guests have arrived yet._ "

"Father Stokes!" Annette cut in before he could continue "Have Beth and Maggie arrived yet?"

" _Why...yes. They arrived with two young men not long ago._ " Father Stokes informed, a hint of confusion in his voice " _I'm just waitin' out in the foyer for requested some privacy with Shawn before the service began._ "

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Annette ran a hand through her hair before turning to look at her dangerously calm husband.

"Do me a favour, will you. Please check in on them." She hastily began "Tell me if they're still there."

" _Annette...They'll still be here. I think we should just give them the time they need._ " He gently tried to reassure.

"Father Stokes!" Annette finally burst out, Hershel jumping slightly behind her "They have left me a letter tellin' me they are takin' Shawn to LA! Please just check on them and make sure that my son is still there!"

With a soft sigh, Annette heard Father Stokes shuffling around; the sound of the heavy doors leading into the sanctuary, opening. Holding her breath, she awaited the muffled voices of her daughters. The sound of Father Stokes explaining why he was checking in on them. Anything, really, that would put her mind at rest. But what she heard was nothing. Only silence before the sound of the phone rising to Father Stokes' ear came through.

"Are they there!?" Annette cried, clutching tightly to her necklace "Please tell me they're there!"

With a clear of the throat she heard Father Stokes shuffle around once again, his breathing ragged as he prepared to deliver the news.

" _W-well...uh..._ " He stuttered out, obviously a little stunned " _This...this is **definitely**  a new one for me..._"

"You mean they've already left!?" Came a shrill cry from Annette, Hershel struggling to pull himself out of the sofa.

With a high pitched scream, Annette dropped the phone back into it's cradle before dashing out of the living room and upstairs. With a slight roll of the eyes, Hershel quickly followed her, the sound of banging and muttering filling the empty house. Following the noise, Hershel found his wife in their room with her cell phone stuck in between the crook of her neck as she hastily began to pack a suitcase.

"Pick up, Maggie..." She growled into the phone, her hand moving to clutch it "PICK UP!"

But to no luck, the phone eventually went to voicemail. With a frustrated grunt, Annette threw it down before turning and disappearing into the walk in closet, Hershel (with a heavy sigh and second roll of the eyes), taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"They are in so much trouble when I catch them!" She bellowed, walking back out with her arms full of their clothes "I mean, what the hell were they thinkin'!? LA!? They plan on  _driving_  Shawn to LA!?" Throwing the clothes into the open suitcase, her hands flew to her hips "Well, I'm tellin' you, we'll be gettin' there first! Goin' to put an end to this!"

"Uh, honey..." Hershel managed to cut in as his wife turned in the direction of the closet once again "Don't you think maybe we should sit down and talk about thi-..."

"Talk!?" She cried, snapping round to face him with wide eyes "Our daughters are in the middle of transportin' our sons casket across country with their boyfriends, and you want to talk, Hershel!?"

"...Well... _technically_ , Beth and Daryl aren't datin'..."

"Hershel!" Annette cut in, hands flying to her hair "Can you not see how serious this all is!? This ain't a joke! Our daughters have committed a felony!" With a sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose, the start of a migraine coming on "I am gettin' on the next plan to LA, am goin' to find my girls, contemplate killin' them and then I'm bringin' my baby home for burial."

Closing over the suitcase, Annette ended the conversation and hurried over to the night stand to collect the passports; Hershel stopping himself from calling out to her again. With a sigh he watched as she rummaged around in the drawers, but stood in confusion when she let out yet another loud cry. Head cocked slightly, he couldn't help but feel a small burst of pride in his chest for his daughter when Annette turned round (anger dancing in her eyes) with a cupcake in hand, another small note attached to it.

_...Sorry for this too_

_Beth x_

"This girl is goin' to be the death of me..." Annette growled out, shaking the cupcake slightly.

"Is that chocolate?" Hershel asked with an appreciative nod.

With an angry growl, Annette dropped the cupcake to the floor and marched to her handbag.

"Check and see if your licence is in date." She snapped, raking through her purse.

"Should be..." Hershel replied, pulling out his wallet "Just had it renewed last year."

But as they searched through their bank, credit and library cards, neither were able to come up with their licence's. Blowing a stray hair from her eyes, Annette angrily snapped her purse shut and turned to look at her husband.

"Please tell me you have yours and I've just lost mine..." She begged, her colour draining as she watched him flick through his many cards one at a time before pulling a small piece of paper out from the pile.

"Afraid not..." He sighed, turning the paper round to face her "But, courtesy of Beth, I do have a coupon for 50% off my next hair cut."

Screaming again for what felt like the thousandth time that morning, Annette flung her self down onto the bed, her legs flailing about as she began to rant.

"Have kids, they said!" Came her cry; tears of rage filling her eyes "It'll be  _fun_  they said!"

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Hershel let out another sigh.

"So..." He began "We takin' your car or mine?"  
 **… **…** **…****

An hour into the drive was when they started to feel the effects of boredom set in; Glenn moaning every five minutes from the back as Maggie picked at her nails while Beth raked through the little amount of CD's that Daryl actually stored in his truck. With a deep sigh, Glenn rested his head back against the head rest, the sounds of Beth's humming doing little to amuse him.

"Do you think we can stop for a comfort break soon?" He asked, pulling himself forward between the two front seats "My ass is in danger of falling asleep back here."

"We'll stop when we get to Tennessee." Daryl muttered through gritted teeth for the fourth time "We've only got a little over an hour left till we cross the border." With a groan, his friend flopped back in his seat "Honestly Glenn, you're worse than a five year old, y'know that?"

"I can't help it!" Glenn exclaimed in defence "Ever since I was a kid my attention span during long journey's was practically non existent. Every ten seconds it was 'Are we there yet?', 'How long till we get there?', 'Can we stop soon?'...It got so bad, at one point that my parents refused to take me anywhere that wasn't within a five mile radius."

"True story." Maggie piped in with a small nod, looking up from her nails.

"Yeah?" Daryl replied with a raised brow "Well, I can tell you now that if it happens on this trip I will not hesitate before pullin' over and leavin' you to walk to LA. You won't be the first guy I've left at the side of the road."

"True story." Beth mimicked causing Maggie to smirk "Daryl has, what I like to call, 'Passenger Rage'. On our first date he yelled at me because I told him to watch out for the cat on the road."

"You grabbed the steerin' wheel and pulled it!" He scoffed, Maggie and Glenn chuckling slightly in the back "And besides, it wasn't out first date, it was our second."

Thinking back, Daryl couldn't help but smile at the memory of his first date with Beth Greene. If he was honest, it had probably been the best first date he had ever been on. For weeks he had been trying to pluck up the courage to ask the (then) 19 year old out. After speaking to Shawn about his desire for a date (where his one legged friend had practically kicked him in her direction), he had wasted no time in hunting her down. Finding her in her room, lying across her bed reading, he had softly knocked the open door before walking in.

Her smile had been more than enough to send him into a tizzy. The small blush which crept up her cheeks let him know that his presence had the same effect on her. At first he had ghosted round the question. Made small talk about the book she had been reading. Only when she had explained it was a love story did he find his moment.

"What d'you say about goin' out sometime?" He had asked, trying his hardest to appear nonchalant "Y'know, with me?"

"Like a date?" She had smirked, tucking a stray curl behind her ear as he nodded in reply "When were you thinkin'?"

"Tomorrow, if you want? Or not, it's cool..." He shrugged causing Beth to giggle slightly.

"Hmm..." She had muttered, climbing off her bed "I do need to water the plants tomorrow night...wash my hair and rearrange the fridge magnets..."

"C'mon, Beth, you're killin' me here..." He had chuckled out.

" _But_..." She drawled out "I'm sure I could squeeze you in."

Exchanging times and details, Daryl had made his way back to Shawn's room with the biggest smile. The next night he had arrived at 5 on the dot, received his 'lecture' from Hershel (and Shawn, the traitor) to have her home by no later than 11 but to have fun. When he had seen her come down stairs wearing her denim summer dress with her hair in loose curls, he was convinced that any dignity he had left was gone with the brain cells that had been burned up at the sight of her.

They hadn't gone anywhere extravagant. A nice little Italian restaurant which was new to town. There they had sat and talked for hours. Laughing. Daryl was convinced that Beth's laugh was the closest thing to heaven that night. When it came time to leave, they had went a short walk, Daryl buying her a fancy ice cream from the old parlour down the road. Black Forest Cherry.

At the end of the night he dropped her home at 10:59. The house had been in darkness, but Beth hadn't taken that as her cue to part ways. Inviting him in, they had quietly made their way upstairs to her room where they ended up laying her comforter out on the floor and cracking open the box of mismatched chess pieces. Beth had won hands down.

"I had a good night." He had smiled as she walked him to the front door at two in the morning.

"Yeah, me too..." She had smiled, leaning up against the door "Y'know...I'm thinkin' on watchin' the plants grow on Saturday, but if you want I can push that back and we can do somethin'..."

"Saturday?" Daryl had questioned "Oh, gee, I don't know. I'm really goin' to have to think about tha-...Sounds perfect."

Giggling, Beth had tucked a curl behind her ear, Daryl never takin' his eyes off of her. As her laughter had died down, he slowly began to close the gap between them; but as he dipped his head to capture her lips with his, he was gently pushed back.

"Nuh-uh..." She had chuckled "I don't kiss on a first date."

"Oh really?" He had smirked, crossing his arms over his chest "And what if I go out there, get in my truck and crash before I get home? How will you feel knowin' you never got to kiss me."

"I guess we'll just need to find out." Was her joke, Daryl slapping a hand to his chest in mock hurt as she had giggled once again "Goodnight, Daryl..."

"Night, Baby Greene." He smiled.

Once he was outside and the door had been closed behind him, he let his laughter out. It had been a laughter that he hadn't believed to be real, but as he had made his way back over to his truck, he couldn't deny that a joyous laughter existed. Running a hand through his short hair, he remembered as he had reached out for the handle of the truck door, the soft sound of footsteps crunching under the gravel as they fast approached him. Turning, he had been slightly surprised to see Beth jogging towards him, a small smile pulling at her lips as she came to a stop in front of him.

Without uttering a word, she had reached up onto her tip toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down for a soft kiss. It hadn't been long or heated, but Daryl had known it was the best kiss he had ever shared with someone. Only when she had pulled away, her forehead pressed gently against his, did she speak.

"Thought about it..." She had whispered "And I don't think I would like livin' the rest of my life without knowin' what a kiss from you was like." Stepping back, she slowly began to walk away, her gaze never leaving his "I'm glad I know now."

And with a final smile, she had run back inside.

As much as he had tried, Daryl had never been able to forget that night. The night still played over in his mind like a broken record. The meal. The game on her room floor. And her broken rule of a first date kiss. Smiling, he could only relish in the memories.

"What's got you so happy?" Beth giggled, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What?" He asked, turning briefly to look at her "What d'you mean?"

"I mean, you're sittin' smilin' like you've just found total happiness in your life." She smiled.

"Oh..." He blushed, chuckling slightly "I'm just thinkin' is all."

"Ok..." She nodded, her response sounding more like a question as she turned her attention back out to the road in front "Y'know, Daryl..." She carried on as Glenn and Maggie sparked up conversation in the back "Your smile looks adorable on you..." Turning back to look at him, Beth couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her cheeks "...You should wear it more often..."

Feeling his smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, Daryl couldn't hold back the small chuckle that escaped past.

"Thanks." He replied softly "That goes for you too..."


	8. Chapter Eight

_Never once did we realize we were making memories.  
_ _We just knew we were having fun._

**Chapter Eight**

It was when she had hit the tender age of five that Annette Greene had come to realize that her youngest daughter was unlike any other child her age. When the kids at the day care were out playing in the yard, Beth was busy reading Oliver Twist while humming 'You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two'. At school, when the other girls drew out their game of hopscotch, Beth's would end up looking like detailed drawings of bank floor plans more than anything else (although in reality, that was probably down to the fact she was about as artistic as a blind kangaroo with a paintbrush). Her favourite films were The Stone Of Destiny and Gone In 60 Seconds, and as of last year (to top everything off) her favourite song had been about a girl stealing her boyfriends keys before trashing his car. So as far as Annette was concerned, it was really only a matter of time before her daughter became quite the pilferer.

With a frantic sigh, she finished piling the last of her and Hershel's clothes into the open suitcase; all the while muttering about her unusual desire to throttle her daughters and their companions. Running a hand through her now loose curls, she turned to look at her husband, her annoyance bubbling up inside her once again as she watched him casually flick through the channels on the TV.

"Y'know..." She began closing over the case, her hands flying to her hips impatiently "You could at least  _pretend_  to be a little more concerned by all of this instead of watchin' the TV, Hershel!"

"I'm bein' look-out." Was his murmured reply, his eyes never leaving the screen in front of him as he settled on a station "Y'never know...Might get caught speedin'. Might see them pop up on the news or somethin'. If Daryl's drivin', then I'll even put money on it."

"You're watchin' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!" Annette exclaimed, arms flailing in the direction of the TV.

"Then let's call it 'Geographical Research'!" Hershel replied matter of factly "Bel-Air is in LA!"

Groaning in frustration, and pinching the bridge of her nose, Annette wasted no time in snatching up the remote and turning the TV off. With a subtle glare in her direction, Hershel could do nothing but cross his arms over his chest and sit back in his seat as his wife began to pace (Again). It wasn't that he couldn't understand why she was so anxious. He could understand perfectly. The whole situation had left him rather stunned if he was totally honest. Never in a million years did he think he'd ever have to worry about his daughter's stealing the body of his son. So, yes, he could understand why Annette was upset. He just didn't see how worrying and acting like a stark raving lunatic could help.

"Hershel!" She barked, breaking him out of his thoughts "This ain't fun and games! This ain't somethin' that we'll end up laughin' about over Christmas dinner, like  _'Oh yeah, remember that time Beth and Maggie stole Shawn's body and drove him to LA in the back of a truck? Remember how funny that was?'_. I'm not goin' to be textin' my friends that I'm headin' across country to get my son's corpse back! Can you imagine it!?  _'LOL , #YOLO, smiley face, TAG ME'_!" By this point, Hershel was pretty sure his wife was on the verge of taking a seizure, her voice becoming louder and screechier with each word she spoke "This is  _not_ somethin' that people will write about!"

By the time she had finished with her rant, Annette's body was heaving; her breathing erratic as she tried to regain any semblance of dignity that she had left. Fighting to hold back his smirk, a smirk which he was pretty certain would be  _slightly_  inappropriate (and would most likely end with him in the dog house for the rest of existence), Hershel leaned forward.

"Honey..." He began, clearing his throat "Do you remember when we got married all those years ago?" With an annoyed roll of the eyes, Annette scoffed "Remember? You were sane."

"Yeah, well you were a 28"waist!" Was her retort "Things change!"

"Hurtful."

Zipping up the suitcase, Annette quickly grabbed it before heading out the room, the sound of her thundering down the stairs forcing Hershel up once again. With a sigh, he traipsed out the bedroom and followed her, the front door lying wide open when he made it down to the ground floor. Walking out onto the porch, he watched as she lugged the large case into the trunk of the car; the cursing of the 'damned piece of crap' causing a smile to tug at his lips. Once the trunk had been slammed shut, Annette briskly made her way round to the passenger side before ushering Hershel to 'move his ass' and get in.

Finding it best that he just humoured her, Hershel closed the door and sauntered over to the car, his wife practically bouncing in her seat trying not to scream at him to hurry up. With a loud groan, he lowered himself in, Annette frantically slapping a hand on the dashboard. But instead of starting the car, Hershel just sat there, both hands on the steering wheel as he stared out in front.

"So, honey..." He began,turning slowly to face Annette "What route is it we're taking?"

As if the wind had just been kicked out of her, Annette's arms fell to her side with a thump, her eyes widening as realization hit her. With a large intake of breath, she screamed. Climbing out the car, she began to march back towards the house, stomping back up the stairs and slamming the front door as she went. What was impressive is that she never stopped for air at any point.

"Well..." Hershel murmured to himself, still gazing out the front window "She took that  _much_ better than expected."

**… **…** **…****

Their laughter rang out through the cramped truck, Maggie wiping tears from her eyes as she finished sharing her favourite story about her baby brother. She didn't think she'd ever forget the time where he had taken it upon himself to 'prettify' her car, something (she'll admit), had pissed her off ever so slightly in the beginning. It had been right after she had passed her test, a great achievement as far as she was concerned (probably because it was her millionth time sitting it). The deal had been that if she passed and kept her grades up, then her parents would buy her a car for her birthday. One license and four A's later, she found herself to be the (not so proud) owner of a bright yellow 1993 Ford Festiva.

At first Maggie thought her parents had been joking when they handed her the keys; a burst of hysterical laughter proof of that. But soon it began to sink in that their idea of a safe car was her idea of becoming a social outcast. The minute they had went inside, leaving her with the heap, she had nearly burst into tears. That's when Shawn entered the scene, however. He had wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she stood staring at the banana car, her lip quivering slightly in distress. With a groan of frustration, she quickly headed inside, unknowingly leaving him there with one of his more ludicrous ideas.

By the time the next morning had rolled along, Maggie had come to the decision that the bright yellow hunk of junk was better than nothing at all, so with bag in hand (and sunglasses perched securely on the bridge of her nose), she went outside to take her very first independent drive to school. The only problem was though, that when she walked outside, her car was no longer the ghastly canary coloured monstrosity that she had seen the day before, but instead had been painted over by none other than Shawn. The only reason she had known it was him, was because he had taken it upon himself to sign the corner of her windshield.

With jaw hanging, Maggie had dropped her bag at the sight before her. Flames had been painted round the front tires. Orange, red and ironically, yellow licking up the side of her doors. Behind the flames were hundreds of pretty flowers. Purples, pinks and blues making their way right round the back. He had painted rainbows, unicorns and stars all over the car. He had fixed the wing mirrors by adding two large eyes to the back of them. Very carefully he had painted the words  _Maggie's Magical Motor_ onto the bonnet, and to top everything off, a massive turtle on the roof with ' Anthony' written beside it, because in wise words of Shawn, 'even a turtle needs a name'.

It hadn't been too funny then. For everyone else had been hilarious, but for her it had been soul destroying. She had hated that car with a passion in the end, but now she would give everything to have it back for just one day.

"Ok, I've got one for you..." Glenn laughed, cutting Maggie's thoughts about her old car short "I remember, a couple of years ago, there had been a party in my old dorm one night. The place was jumping, so thinking that it would be good for Shawn to get out for a little while, I invited him along." Sitting back in his seat a little, Glenn couldn't help but chuckle "He had been at the party less than half an hour before a he had sparked the attention of a girl. She seemed nice. Quite quiet, but really into him...But of course, Shawn being Shawn, he was totally oblivious."

Daryl couldn't help but laugh at that. He had many memories of his own that involved Shawn and his inability to recognize the fairer sex.

"I kinda encouraged him to talk to her, which he did..." Glenn carried on "But at that time, Shawn's idea of deep, meaningful conversation was discussing Pokemon cards. Poor girl seemed so lost." Smiling ever so slightly, Glenn couldn't stop the pang of sadness from hitting him "Just before the girl got up and left,  _We Built This City_ started playing. Shawn got over excited, declared that he loved the song, and then decided he was going to 'air guitar'." Beth snorted with laughter at the thought of her brother bobbing along to Starship "But, wait..." Glenn cut in "It gets even better, because not only did Shawn start with his air guitar, he actually took his leg off and pretended to strum on it."

Daryl couldn't hold it back in the end; the burst of laughter that erupted from deep in his chest.

"You have got to be kiddin' me?" He spoke through chuckles "What did the girl do?"

"Man, I've never seen someone go so pale, so quickly in my whole life. I honestly thought she was about to pass out at any moment." Glenn chuckled "She didn't stick around too long after that. Shawn didn't even notice she had left." Settling down a little, Glenn couldn't stop his smile from tugging "Y'know, it's funny...all these stories we have of Shawn. Never once did we realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun."

"Yeah...But trust Shawn." Beth laughed, running a hand through her hair, her feet propped up on the dashboard "Y'know, it's one thing I noticed about Shawn. He never needed romance to make him happy."

"No, he just needed prosthetics, paint and bad 80's songs." Maggie laughed, trying hard to stifle a yawn.

"I couldn't do it, y'know." Daryl chimed in, never taking his eyes off the road as they passed through another small town "I mean, romance isn't the be all and end all. Would be a joke to say that I'm a romantic guy, but I can safely say this...I haven't had sex in a year, and I can guarantee you that if I go another 365 days without it, I'll most likely slip into a depression and ultimately die."

"How honest of you, Daryl." Beth blushed, both Maggie and Glenn chuckling away in the back "Don't know if I could've went another day without that knowledge."

"Well, I try." He turned, shooting her a bright smile before wiggling his eyebrows.

Beth's cheeks only reddened further.

"Play nice, Dixon." Maggie laughed, playfully slapping him on the back of the head "Beth can't handle sex talk."

"I can too!" The young blonde exclaimed before turning round to scoff at her sister "Just...some people's sex lives should remain private." Turning back in her seat she shot Daryl a glare "Should never be spoken about  _ever_ again...Ever..."

Again, he could only smile. Opening her mouth to tell him to 'cut it out', Beth was stopped by the sudden chirp of her phone. Glancing down at the screen she couldn't stop the panic from building up within her at the sight of 'Mom' calling. With palms sweating, Beth could feel all oxygen cut off, the thought of answering to her Mom too daunting to think about.

"It's Momma!" She gasped, turning the phone to face her sister "What do I do?"

"Answer it? I don't know!" Maggie replied, her eyes just as wide "But do somethin'!"

"Are you crazy!? I'm not answerin' it!" Beth cried, throwing the phone to her sister "You answer it!"

But as Maggie caught the phone, it left her grasp like a hot potato just as quick...straight out the truck window. Shocked at what she just did, her hands clasped tightly over her mouth, her gaze slowly turning to face her sister who looked to be just as stunned.

"M-my phone..." Beth stammered, pointing to the window "You...you threw my phone out...out..."

"I'm so  _so_ sorry, Beth..." Maggie began, Glenn biting his knuckles to stop himself from laughing "I didn't mean to. I just panicked. When you threw me the phone, I didn't know what to do..."

"SO YOU THREW IT OUT THE WINDOW!?" Beth cried, falling back into her seat "Daryl, you have to go back!"

"Are you kiddin'?" Daryl scoffed "At the speed we're goin'? Beth...Unless your phone's a Nokia 3310, which, by the way, has a higher chance breakin' the road than the road does it, then there's no chance it made it...I'm sorry..."

With a small whimper, Beth lay her head on the dashboard. They weren't even out of Georgia yet and she was already phoneless.

"Oh..." Maggie chimed in, causing Beth to snap up and face her "I've had...seven missed calls from Mom..." Biting her lower lip with an 'oops' face, Maggie quickly turned off her phone "I'm takin' it they've probably found the letter."

Moaning again, Beth's head found solace atop the dashboard once more. What would Shawn do in a situation like this? Make cup phones most likely.

"Hey..." Glenn piped in, obviously trying to fill the now awkward silence "How about we listen to some music. Might cheer you up, Beth."

"My phone had music..." She whined, sitting up as Glenn leaned over and switched on the radio "...Good music..."

"Well..." He murmured, turning the small dial "I'm sure I can find a good song for us to play..." Settling on a station, he sat back "There!"

As the soft melody began to play, Beth struggled to stop the smile from tugging at her lips. Savage Gardens,  _Truly, Madly, Deeply_  was by far (and very ashamedly) one of her all time favourite songs. Every time she heard it play, she couldn't stop herself from doing the cheesy bop of the head while bellowing it at the top of her lungs.

"Uh, what the fuck is this?" Daryl asked with a raised brow all the while glaring at Glenn in the rearview "I'm not listenin' to this shit, man. Didn't like it when it came out, don't like it now."

"Oh c'mon, Daryl..." Beth smirked, embracing the opportunity to get back at him for the little 'sex talk' fiasco. As much as she hated the thought of her phone lying shattered somewhere behind them, the thought of annoying Daryl a little was just too good to pass up. Nudging him slightly with her elbow, she scooted closer to him.

"You know the words..." She carried on "Sing along with me... _I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy._ "

"Not happenin'." Was his firm reply.

" _I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, Be everything that you need..._ " Maggie joined in with a smile, leaning in between the two front seats.

"Stop it!" He tried not to smirk "Glenn, make them stop!"

But instead of obeying his friend's request, Glenn brought his 'air mic' up to his lips and carried on with a bellow.

" _I'll love you more with every breath, Truly, madly, deeply do..._ "

"Way to be straight, man." Daryl mumbled, covering his chuckle with a cough as the three of them started to sing together with their 'mics'.

" _I will be strong I will be faithful, 'cause I'm counting on, a new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning, yeah..._ "

"C'mon, Daryl..." Beth giggled, grabbing his arm and tugging on it slightly "Join in with us! I promise you, you'll still have your testicles at the end..."

With a laugh, he shook his head.

"Ah, what the hell..." Was his reply as the four of them burst into a loud rendition of the chorus.

" _I want to stand with you on a mountain, I want to bathe with you in the sea, I want to lay like this forever, Until the sky falls down on me!_ "

With loud laughter, all thoughts of her phone left Beth's mind. The only thing she could focus on at that moment was Daryl singing away while banging his hands on the steering wheel; Glenn and Maggie falling about 'passionately' as they sang to each other in the back.

"You utter a word of this to anyone and I'll kill you." Daryl playfully warned, pointing at Beth.

"Whatever..." Beth laughed "...I lied about you still having your balls in the end."

With one hand placed firmly on the wheel, he quickly reached over and grabbed her in a one armed head lock, Beth giggling as he forced her closer into his side. The sound of her laughter caused his own to soon spill from his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he had had as much fun driving, and because of it, he didn't even realise when they crossed over the Tennessee Border.


	9. Chapter Nine

_When was the last time you did something  
For the first time?_

**Chapter Nine**

It had taken them a whole 40 minutes before they realized they'd hit Tennessee. 40 minutes which Beth had to admit, had been some of the happiest in her life. They had managed to drive another hour before Glenn's constant whining became too much to handle. Daryl had even threatened to stuff him into the box with Shawn if he didn't shut up, but in the end pulling into the nearest, probably greasiest, diner in the entire state had been their only escape. Staying long hadn't been an option (or a desire), so one hour and four heart attack's on a plate later, they found themselves back on the road.

Wanting to give Daryl a break for a while, Maggie took over as driver, the two boys quickly falling asleep in the back as they continued to power on through Tennessee. With the radio playing quietly, Maggie couldn't help but feel the wretched tears burn the back of her eyes; the softly spoken lyrics all too familiar to her. ' _All I want is nothing more, To hear you knocking at my door, 'Cause if I could see your face once more, I could die a happy man I'm sure_ '. Feeling her throat close in, she quickly changed the station, a soft cough becoming a desperate attempt to hide her brokenness. With a sad smile, Beth tucked a curl behind her ear, scooted over in her seat and linked arms with her sister before resting her head on her shoulder; Maggie chuckling in embarrassment as she wiped away a silent tear.

"It's ok to cry, Maggie." Beth whispered, rubbing soothing circles on her arm "...Tears heal..."

Smiling, Maggie quickly placed a kiss to her little sister's forehead before turning her attention back to the road, Beth sliding back over to her seat where her feet once again found comfort on top of the dashboard.

"I wonder what Momma and Daddy are sayin' right now..." She spoke, her voice hoarse "D'you think they'll ever forgive us?"

"Yeah..." Beth replied with a small nod before turning to face her sister "I don't think Momma can stay mad forever, and Daddy...Well, I don't think he even knows how to get mad." With a giggle, she ran a hand through her hair, glancing over her shoulder at the sleeping duo "I mean, remember when he found Daryl passed out drunk in Momma's flower bed the mornin' after Shawn's 18th?" Laughing, Maggie nodded before glancing through the rearview "Any normal person would have exploded at that! But not Daddy. He dragged him out by the ankles then ended up cookin' him breakfast!"

"Aw...I remember Momma wanted to bury him that mornin'..." Maggie said through her laughter as she changed gear "...But the minute he handed her those crushed posies with that charmin' smile of his, she couldn't help but laugh."

Feeling a smile tug at her lips, Beth's gaze fell on Daryl once again. She had to admit (as much as she didn't want to) that there was something relatively charming about him. The first time she had seen him standing in her hallway, her Daddy dragging him through the house by his ear as he tried to shield his cute little boxers, she did find herself harbouring a  _slight_ crush.

"So..." Maggie broke in, forcing Beth to draw her attention away from the young man "I know it's probably none of my business, and that you're probably goin' to moan and groan at me for askin', but...what  _is_  goin' on between you and our lovely charmer back there? You guys seem to be gettin'...cosy..."

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, Beth turned her attention out her window.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about." She mumbled in reply, hoping beyond hope that her sister would drop the topic.

With a raised brow, Maggie turned to face her baby sister, a hint of a smile pulling at her lips as she watched her squirm in her seat.

"Beth..." She scoffed "Puh-lease...I wasn't born yesterday." Turning her attention back out to the road in front, Maggie couldn't help but smirk before continuing "...All I'm sayin' is that it's...nice that you guys are gettin' closer again. Sort of like when you started datin'."

"We're just friends, Maggie." Beth said, shifting uncomfortably while clearing her throat "Plus..."

"I know, I know..." Maggie cut in, rolling her eyes slightly "Four dates isn't classified as 'dating'. I've heard." With silence filling the truck again, Beth believed her sister had taken her cue to hush up, but with Maggie that was never the case "Y'know, it's not like it would be a bad thing if you guys gave it a go again. I'm pretty sure Daryl would jump at the chance."

"Maggie!" Beth exclaimed "We are just  _friends,_ Ok? That's all we'll ever be." Crossing her arms round herself, Beth shuffled back in her seat "Daryl and I just don't work well as a couple...Should never have happened in the first place..."

Knowing that it was best just to leave the subject be, Maggie quietened down. She never did suss out what had happened between her baby sister and the rough boy she had come to love as her own brother. The two had seemed to be getting along great. Laughing, flirting, sharing 'secret' kisses when they thought no one had been looking. As far as Maggie was concerned, it was a match made in heaven. Then one morning, Beth had walked in after a date night with Daryl, moaned that she 'didn't want to talk about it' and headed upstairs refusing to answer any questions shot her way. She'd claimed to hate him ever since.

Thankful that her sister had taken the hint to drop the whole 'Daryl' thing, Beth silently glanced back over at him, his arm draped lazily over his eyes as he rested his head on the back of the seat. She couldn't deny that her short time with him had been special. At the age of 19, she had been stunned that she had managed to attract the attention of the then 25 year old. Their first date, in her opinion, had been wonderful, and come the end of the night she hadn't been able to resist asking him if he wanted to do it again.

Like they had arranged, she had shown up at his apartment the next Saturday, a beaming smile threatening to rip her face in two as she had gently chapped his door. The whole day she had been excited, her eyes drifting to the clock every hour as she began her countdown to their date. They had planned on driving from his place into Atlanta to get some dinner and catch a movie. She remembered on the way home, Daryl had surprised her by driving right past the farm. For about half an hour he had refused to tell her where he was taking her. He wouldn't even let slip when he was yelling at her for 'instinctively helping' him avoid a cat in the middle of the road by grabbing the steering wheel.

She remembered thinking that he was going to kill her (although, highly unlikely) when he turned down a small dirt path leading into the thicket of trees. They drove for another five minutes before he finally pulled the truck to a stop by a small clearing. Getting out, he had taken her hand with a smile before leading her into the clearing.

"Where we goin'?" She had giggled, stepping close into his side.

"Just wait and see." He had chuckled in reply, tugging her along.

They had only walked a couple of yards before they came to a halt by the small lake, the reflection of the full moon bouncing off the perfectly still surface. Looking round, Beth had only been able to stand in awe by the beauty surrounding her. Wildflowers and tall trees closing them into their own little world.

"I didn't even know this place existed." She had gasped, turning to face him "This is beautiful."

"Thought you'd like it." He had replied with a smirk before gently pulling her down to sit beside him in the tall grass "Shawn and I found it about a year ago when we went campin' for the weekend. I like to come here on nights like this. It's quiet. Peaceful..." Glancing at her, he had gingerly taken the opportunity to brush a strand of hair from her eyes, her smile growing slowly as he did "Hey, d'you know how to skip rocks?"

"Never done it before." She had giggled with a slight roll of the eyes as he helped pull her back to her feet before snatching up a few stones "You'd have to teach me."

Smirking, Daryl had walked behind her, his hands hesitantly going to her hips so he could turn her till her back was pressed against his chest. Looking over her shoulder, he had gently taken her hand, placing the smooth rock in her clutches.

"Ok, so you hold it like this..." He had practically whispered, Beth leaning into his touch slightly as he manipulated her hand "Good...Now bend your wrist all the way back..." Still holding her hand he brought her arm round "And snap it forward with a big swing."

Following his movements, Beth had done as he said; Daryl's hand moving away from her own and down to her waist as she swung her arm forward, the rock flying free before skipping across the still water. With a bright smile she had watched it bounce three times before sinking to the bottom, a soft giggle filling the night air as she turned in his arms to face him.

"Good teacher." She had said while smiling up at him.

" _Excellent_ student." Had been his reply, his own smile causing her heart to melt "I'll tell you what..." He drawled out, glancing at the lake "Skip a rock four time by yourself, and I promise I won't harass you at the end of the night for a kiss."

"Alright..." Beth had smiled "And if I don't manage it?"

"Then you have to give me a big kiss right here, right now." He had answered, waggling his eyebrows "Deal?"

"Ok, deal."

Taking the stone from his hand, Beth had taken her stance, Daryl standing behind her with the cockiest grin she had ever seen. With a smile, she had followed his instructions to a tee; snapping her wrist back and releasing the stone for it to bounce across the water not four, not five, but six times. Dusting her hands off, she had turned to face him, his grin falling as he had stared in disbelief.

"Rock Skippin' Champion between my friends for four years runnin' now." She had giggled, crossing her arms over her chest triumphantly.

"You said you'd never done it before." He had scoffed, the corners of his lips curling up "Oh, you're sneaky."

"Or just  _really_  interested in the guy who's 'teachin' me..." Had been her reply as she stepped closer to him "It's not every day I have Daryl Dixon's arms wrapped round me."

He had taken that as his cue to pull her closer, his arms wrapping round her waist as her own draped round his neck.

"Well...looks like you won the bet." He had sighed.

"Yeah?" Beth had quizzed while playing with the hair at the nape of his neck "...Well, it's a shame I forgot to keep count."

He had only been able to smile after that, Beth's own grin mirroring his as he bent down to claim his 'winning' kiss.

Even after everything that happened, Beth still struggled to hold back the smile that broke out across her face at the thought of that night. As much as she wished they didn't, Maggie's words rang out in her memories  _'...It's not like it would be a bad thing if you guys gave it a go again'_. Oh, how she wanted to believe that.

"Dreamin' about me again, Baby Greene?" His husky voice broke into her thoughts, Beth jumping when she realized Daryl was awake and leaning in from behind, whispering in her ear.

"Ha, you wish Dixon." She smirked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"I wish, I dream and I pray." He chuckled, sitting back in his seat.

With a smirk and a slight roll of the eyes, Beth turned away from him to look out her window, Maggie shooting her a small smile with a raised brow.

 _'...It's not like it would be a bad thing if you guys gave it a go again'_...  
 **… **…** **…****

After Glenn had taken over from Maggie and drove for a few hours, Daryl found himself behind the wheel once again; Beth lost in a peaceful slumber as he carried on journeying through Tennessee. He continued to drive until the sky turned fiery, the clouds licking at the sky like flames. By 9 pm, and once Beth had awoken, they decided that pulling off into a woodland area for the night would be the best option. Tomorrow they would travel the couple of hours before skipping over the Missouri Border.

Daryl couldn't help but be thankful that they had managed to travel the whole day without any mishaps (if you don't count Glenn's near death experience at the hands of Daryl for all is mumbles and grumbles as mishaps). Brining the truck to a stop deep in the woodland area, Glenn was out like a shot, running round the old beast a couple of times with a joyous grin plastered on his face.

"I can feel my legs!" He bellowed as the rest slowly stepped out, Daryl trying hard to stifle a yawn.

"Well, bring them over here and help me with these tents." He mumbled through his smirk, making his way round the back of the truck.

As the boys got to work pulling out all the camping gear, Maggie made her way over to Beth, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as she sleepily rested her head atop her sisters.

"I'm not goin' to pressure you into openin' up about what happened between the two of you..." She began, causing Beth to pull back and look up at her "But if you ever need to talk, you know you can always come to me. You never have to be embarrassed."

With a small smile, Beth nodded, her arms going round her sister for a grateful hug. At the sound of grunts and sighs, the two broke apart to see Daryl and Glenn had already started on their camp.

"Gotta be thankful for pop up tents." Daryl sighed, wasting no time in setting the two man tent up.

"Umm...Do you...D'you think we'll be safe through the night?" Maggie blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as Glenn finished putting up the other tent.

Smirking, Daryl's hands went to his hips as Glenn made his way back to the truck to pull out the bedding.

"You ain't scared, Greene..." Daryl chuckled "Are you?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Maggie glared at him, Beth quickly making her way over to Glenn to help divide up the bedding.

"No!" Maggie scoffed "It's just...I ain't never camped in the wilderness like this before. I've only ever set up a tent out the back yard, and even then I only lasted four hours."

With a chuckle, Glenn looked over at his girlfriend as Beth stepped into one of the tents with some bedding.

"C'mon, Maggie." He smiled "When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

"This mornin', Glenn." Maggie replied matter of factly "This mornin' when I helped steal my brothers body. That's the last time I did somethin' for the first time.

Giggling through a yawn, Beth emerged from the tent.

"As fun as this conversation is guys, I think I want to try and get some sleep." She began, running her hands through her hair "It's been a long day."

Sauntering over with a smirk, Daryl flung his arm over Beth's shoulder and pulled her closer into his side.

"Totally agree with you, Baby Greene." He said with a nod, pulling her back in the direction of the tent "Let's hit the hay. Glenn, Maggie, we'll see you in the mornin'."

Halting him in his tracks, Beth let out a chuckle.

"Nu-uh, Dixon." She smirked, lifting his arm off her shoulder and pushing him in the direction of the other tent "Girls with girls and boys with boys. You and Glenn can take the other tent."

Hand flying to his chest, Daryl feigned hurt as Maggie kissed Glenn goodnight before climbing into her shared tent, Beth blowing Daryl a mocking kiss before disappearing after her sister and zipping the tent closed.

"Ouch..." Daryl mumbled with a smirk before turning to face Glenn "You spoon me in my sleep, and I swear man, we'll have problems."


	10. Chapter Ten

_If we wait until we're ready,  
_ _We'll be waiting for the rest of our lives._

**Chapter Ten**

It had taken a while, but by 1 am, Annette had finally hit the 'rage in silence' stage. Bliss, as far as Hershel was concerned. Drumming her fingers against the arm of the sofa, she sat glaring at the clock; the seconds hand taunting her as she watch minute after minute pass her by. The whole day had been spent in an endless effort of trying to reach her daughters; Maggie's phone constantly ringing out until she was forced to hang up and try again, and Beth's going straight to her overly chirpy, scream worthy, ready for killing somebody, voicemail. Why they carried phones in the first place, was beyond her.

After trying to contact her eldest daughter once again (a task which was proving to be more difficult than quantum physics), Annette let the growl that had been building up for the last few hours, escape from her chest. Glancing at his wife from the corner of his eye, Hershel fought back the tug at his lips before turning the page of his battered bible, a soft clear of the throat becoming a desperate attempt at keeping his chortle at bay.

"This is gettin' ridiculous now!" Annette finally blew, the once peaceful quietness quickly being swallowed up by her new burst of franticness "Hershel, how can you be so calm in all of this? Our babies could be anywhere by now!"

"...Chamomile helps." He replied with a shrug, his smile finally winning the battle as he turned to see his wife's enraged eyes boring into him "Oh, honey, I'm kiddin'." He chuckled, closing his bible over before turning to face her "Let me ask you this...Does worryin' change anythin'?"

Shifting slightly in her chair, Annette crossed her arms over her chest, Hershel's words ringing loud and clear.

"Well...No..." She finally choked out "But-"

"And does bein' angry change anythin'?" He jumped in, cutting her off with a raised hand.

"...No." She replied through gritted teeth " _But_ -"

"Then why worry!?" Hershel asked, life dancing behind his greying eyes "Why be angry!?" Reaching over, he took hold of his wife's hand; squeezing her fingers in an attempt to calm her "Honey, I'm not worried about Maggie and Beth because I know they can take care of themselves. I'm not worried because I know Daryl and Glenn would go to the ends of the earth for them...We'll hear from them. I have no doubt about that."

"...But what about Shawn, Hershel!?" Annette cried, her hand escaping the clutches of her husbands before grabbing at her hair "What if we never find out what route they take!? What if they get to LA before we're even able to leave the house!? I can't allow my baby's body to get burned on a dirty old beach, Hershel. I just...I just can't."

With a sad smile, Hershel's hands fell between his legs; his elbows resting lazily on his knees. Huffing out a deep sigh, he reached up and gently pulled on his growing beard, a nervous habit he had developed as he fought to find the courage to ask her the question that had been plaguing him since reading his daughter's letter.

"Honey..." He began, his arm falling back onto his leg "...Would it really be so bad if they made it to LA?"

But without answering, Annette stood, her annoyance building and lip trembling as she stomped back over to the phone once again; Hershel's question lingering heavily in the air. With the same sad smile, he watched as she battered the keys of the phone; Maggie's number, no doubt; but just like it had done so many times, it rang out. Growl returning, Annette slammed the phone back down onto it's cradle, her arms crossing tightly over her chest as she glared down at it. A silent blame game, Hershel was sure.

"These girls..." She muttered, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose in the hopes to stop the oncoming migraine "If Mom calls, then  _No,_ let's just ignore it, but if Daryl or Glenn call then...then..." Eye's widening in realization, Annette turned to Hershel; a manic grin pulling at her lips as hope returned to her life "...Glenn!"

Knowing where his wife's mind had wandered to, Hershel could only let out a silent sigh.

Poor boy was screwed.  
 **…**

Glenn had tried to fight the feeling for hours. Tossing and turning to the point where Daryl had taken the 'burden' upon himself to encourage (threaten) him with a gentle nudge (punch), into manning up and leaving the tent to go and pee...Alone. With flashlight clutched tightly in hand, Glenn slowly peered out from the safe confines of his tent before gingerly stepping out into the darkness of the wooded field, the dull beam from his torch illuminating only a few feet in front of him.

"I'm not afraid of the dark..." Was his shaky chant as he glanced over his shoulder wide eyed "I'm not afraid of the dark..." At the sound of an owl screeching behind him, he drew in a gasp, hugging his flashlight tight to his body as he spun round "I'm afraid of what's  _in_  the dark..."

Bleary eyed, Daryl peered out from the tent scratching the back of his head; his hair in disarray, sticking up in all angles as he fought back a yawn.

"Don't worry, man..." He lazily mumbled, a small smile hidden from the nights blackness "This is Tennessee. Leatherface was from Texas, so we've still got a few more states to hit before you have to worry about peein' in the dark alone."

Whimpering, Glenn scoffed down at his friend before he disappeared back into the tent with a cruel smirk, his chuckle muffled as he buried his face back into his comfy pillow.

"Daryl, you dick..." He squeaked out as he began on his trek "Hope you step on a lego."

Going as fast as his bladder would allowed him to, Glenn never stopped until her came to the nearest bush; another quick glance over his shoulder reassuring him that he was in no imminent danger of getting hacked into teeny tiny pieces. With a deep breath, he popped the end of the torch into his mouth, his teeth gripping on to the handle for dear life as he worked at his belt. But no sooner had he loosened the offending object, did he feel the familiar vibration of his phone dancing in his back pocket.

He didn't think twice before reaching in and grabbing it, an irritated grumbled crawling out from his throat as he removed the torch from his mouth, crossed his legs and hit the little green button. Glenn didn't even have to look to know it was Daryl calling him; no doubt in an effort to try and frighten him further.

"I swear, I will come back in there and I will  _smother_  you!" He hissed down the line, bouncing slightly on the spot.

But instead of hearing the amused laughter of his friend, Glenn was greeted with something  _much_  more terrifying, something  _much_  more blood curdling than  _anything_  Daryl could conjure up to scare him.

" _Glenn Rhee!_ " Came the enraged growl of none other than Annette Greene " _You guys are in_ _ **so**_ _much trouble!_ "

Mouth opened and eyes wide in shock, Glenn dropped the flashlight, his mind desperately trying to process what he had just done as he pulled the phone back to glance at the screen; 'Maggie Home' written in bold white letters. With a whimpered 'Oh no', he slowly brought the cell back to his ear, the deathly silence on the other end sending a chill up his spine.

"Uh..." He finally managed to stutter out "...No hablo Inglés. ¡adiós..."

" _Shut up, Glenn!_ " Came her fiery retort.

"Yes, Ma'am." He jumped, quickly bending down to grab for the torch once again.

Beam pointing up towards his face, all thoughts of peeing left Glenn's mind; thoughts of what horrible painful fate awaited him at the hands of his beloveds mother quickly overtaking.

"I, uh...I know what this looks like, Mrs Greene..." Was the only thing he could think to say "And for what it's worth, I  _completely_  agree in advanced that this is the most idiotic thing that the four of us have ever done."

" _I'm glad we're singin' off the same hymn sheet then._ " She replied through gritted teeth, her voice dangerously calm " _Now for the sake of your own health, son, I strongly recommend that you tell me in the next ten seconds what route you kids have taken, because if you don't, I can assure you that I will not be deemed liable for whatever may happen to you on your return._ "

She had found the weakness. The curse that had been bestowed upon him ever since childhood. And she was playing on it. It was no secret that Glenn was probably the worst secret keeper in the history of mankind. Birthday parties. Christmas gifts. If you didn't want your loved ones to know anything, then first step would be to not tell him. But it wasn't that he wanted to share everyone's secrets in the first place, it was just that he lacked the filter that stopped him. A genetic disease, he was sure.

"You see, Mrs Greene..." He began through a nervous smile "I...I can't really do that, because if I did, then Maggie would kill me. And if I'm totally honest, I'm not too sure if you scare me more, or if she does."

" _Where are you, Glenn..._ " Came her reply, still with the same calm voice as she ignored his panic.

He was slipping. He could feel it.

"W-well, I can tell you where we're  _not_..." He tried, hoping for a compromise "We are  _not_  in Georgia."

" _Doesn't really narrow it down any, Glenn..._ " Annette ground out, her annoyance evident.

"Well technically it does." Glenn said, hoping she would buy the bull he was dishing "I mean, there's 50 states and we're not in one of them, so really that narrows it down to 49."

At her silence, he began to pray. Pray that she had hung up. Lost signal. Been abducted by aliens, anything really, that would end their call. But as he went to let out the sigh of relief he was so desperately needing to, her voice rang out once again.

" _Ok, Glenn..._ " She chirped, her voice all of a sudden far too cheerful " _We tried it the easy way. Now we're goin' to try the 'Mom' way._ " That didn't sound good" _You see, I'm goin' to count to three, and if at the end you've not told me what route the four of you are takin', then I will call your mother and let her know_ _ **exactly**_ _what you're up to. It's Michigan she stays, right?_ "

Glenn literally felt his heart stop. Annette scared him. Maggie terrified him. But his own mother? You could see the glow from the gates of hell every time she was near.

" _...One..._ "

And she was not kidding. Desperately trying to hold it together, Glenn squeezed his eyes shut, a feeble attempt at blocking out the reality that was Annette Greene.

" _...Two..._ "

But that was getting harder. He felt his resolve begin to slip. His willpower quickly fading away.

" _...Three..._ "

And with that, he cracked.

"Route 66!" He finally cried, grabbing frantically at his hair "We're taking Route 66! We drove up from Georgia to Tennessee, we're jumping onto The Mother Road when we hit Missouri and we're staying on it all the way to California! That's the plan! All of it! Every single last detail, just please...don't...call...my Mom!"

He wanted nothing more than to kick himself after the outburst, the only sound invading his ears coming from the heavy rise and fall from his chest as he tried to regain a steady oxygen flow to his brain.

" _Thank you, Glenn..._ " Annette eventually spoke; her voice sickly sweet as all anger seemed to float away " _Your Momma would be so proud of you. Now take care...We'll be seein' you soon..._ _¡adiós..._ "

And with that, the phone went dead. The droning buzz cutting through the stillness.

"Hello?" Glenn squeaked out, his heart racing as he realized the catastrophe he had just caused "Mrs Greene?"

Silence.  
 **…**

Slamming the phone down, Annette could barely hold back the beaming grin that was threatening to split her face in two. With excitement dancing in her eyes, she snapped round to face her husband, the tiredness etched on his face quickly fading away to dread as she began to run frantically around the living room collecting her purse and shoes. Heaving a sigh, Hershel slowly pulled himself to his feet before shrugging off his suit jacket.

"So, Glenn told you what route they're takin', then, huh?" He mumbled, folding the jacket before laying on the arm of the sofa.

"Yup!" She beamed, hopping on one foot as she attempted to slip on her stiletto "They're plannin' on jumpin' onto Route 66 from Missouri." Beaming, she glanced up at him as she slid on her other shoe "I love Glenn, really, I do, but the boy wouldn't be able to hold a book if you super glued it to his hand."

Nodding slowly, Hershel unfortunately had to agree.

"Yeah..." He drawled out "He's really not the best secret keeper."

When both shoes were on, Annette ran out into the hall, grabbing her jacket from the stand as Hershel lowered himself back to the sofa. Slipping off the black shoes that had been stuck to his feet all day, he couldn't help but sigh in relief as he wiggled his toes.  _Best feelin' in the world after a long day..._ Running back into the living room, smile still intact, Annette pulled the tie to her coat tight.

"Ok, I'm ready..." She panted, adjusting the collar "If we leave now we might ge- WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'!?" Glancing up at her husband, Annette was horrified to see that he was busy slipping on his well worn slippers, his shoes sat neatly under the coffee table "Hershel! C'mon, move your ass, we need to go!"

"No, Annette." He sighed "It's quarter past 1 in the mornin'. I'm goin' to bed."

Smile vanishing, Annette stormed up to Hershel; anger blazing behind her blue eyes.

"Hershel..." She growled "Could you please put your shoes on, get your cushion and follow me to the car?"

"No." Was his drawn out response.

" _Why!?_ " She whined, purse falling to the floor as her arms fell limply to her sides.

"Because it's been a long day, Annette." Hershel answered back "I need to rest.  _You_  need to rest. Your damned flyin' monkey's need to rest!" Pulling himself up once again, Hershel pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before hobbling past "I promise we'll leave first thing in the mornin'. The kids need to sleep too...Another 7 hours ain't goin' to make the world of difference."

And with that he left, the soft groans of the stairs crying out as he slowly trudged up to his bed. Gobsmacked, Annette stood staring at the empty doorway, her eyes wide as she took in what her husband had just proposed.

"Well, you better pray you're right!" She called out, crossing her arms over her chest "And for what it's worth, I will  _not_ be makin' you a cup of tea in the mornin'!"  
 **…**

He loved her laughter. He'd probably never be able to say it out loud without sounding like a pansy-ass, but every time it burst forth from deep in her belly, he couldn't help but smile. As she stood over the stove, stirring the huge pot of gumbo that she had been 'slavin' over' all day, the laughter spilled out. A musical gift from a cheesy joke he had shared.

He felt bad sitting at the newly set table, the tall candles burning away, illuminating the small space as he watched her move around the kitchen with ease. Upon his arrival, he had immediately been forced into a seat, his jacket quickly removed and lips promptly kissed before being ordered to sit and relax. Looking round the room, Daryl could tell that she had made a special effort for their 'romantic night in'. Maggie was on a date night with Glenn, Shawn was busy upstairs playing video games with his virtual friends, and Hershel and Annette had been warned that if they valued their lives at all, then they were not to set foot in the kitchen under any circumstances. The warning seemed to be working.

"I hope you're hungry." Beth called over her shoulder "My Aunt Nettie emailed me the recipe."

"You kiddin'?" He smiled, pulling the chequered napkin onto his lap as Beth brought him over a steaming bowl of gumbo "Starved myself all day for this."

With a bright smile, she sat the bowl down before turning to fetch her own; but as soon as she did, the smile that had once come oh so naturally for Daryl fell, a look of horror replacing it as he gazed down at what could only be described as evil.  _Good lord, she's not actually expectin' me to eat this, is she!?_ As she sat back down, her eyes sparkling with joy, Daryl snapped his attention away from his bowl and slapped on what could only be described as a grimace.

"I must warn you..." She began, lifting her glass of water to her lips "I've never made this before. It looks kinda different from the picture that Aunt Nettie sent. Her's looked more...gumbo like..."

"Oh, don't be hard on yourself..." Daryl forced out, scooping a spoonful up before letting it fall back into the bowl "I mean, this looks...this looks...The table's set lovely! You've done great, there!"

Chuckling, Beth lifted her own spoon, her eyes rolling in the process before shooting him a mocking glare.

"Ha ha, Smart Ass" She said with a smirk before bringing her spoon to her lips "I'm sure it'll taste great."

Sitting back in his seat, Daryl watched on in amusement as Beth popped the spoon into her mouth, her exaggerated 'Mmm' quickly being stopped short by a wide eyed muffled gag. Trying desperately to hold back his bubbling laughter, Daryl set his spoon down, clasped his hands neatly under his chin and watched as Beth sprang up and ran to the trash can.

" _What_ in the name of Moses,  _is_ that!?" She mumbled, spitting her 'delicious' mouthful into the bin.

"That would be 'great tastin' gumbo'." Daryl finally laughed, getting up from his seat and making his way over to her.

"Oh, Daryl it's not funny." She whined while standing straighter, Daryl coming to wrap his arms around her waste from behind "This night was supposed to be perfect and romantic, and I ruin it by makin' a dish that tastes like spicy feet."

"Hey now." He chuckled, pulling her back against his chest, his chin resting gently on her shoulder "It's nothin' a phone call to Ho's Big Wong won't fix, ok?" Bursting into a fit of laughter, Beth turned in Daryl's arms, his own laughter spilling out as she tucked her head in under his chin "Tell you what..." He carried on, pulling away from her slightly to look down at her "Your Momma and Daddy are out of town for their anniversary next weekend, right?"

"Yeah..." Beth smiled, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"Then why don't you come over to my place on Saturday, and I'll cook you a nice meal? Show you how it's done."

Slapping his chest playfully, Beth bit her lower lip in an effort to hide her smirk.

"You cook?" She inquired, her brow raised as his grip round her waist tightened.

"Yeah, I cook." He scoffed, feigning hurt "I'm a good cook. 25 years old and haven't killed myself."

"Yet." Beth chimed in, earning a poke in the side from Daryl.

At the sound of her laughter, Daryl pulled her into his chest once again before pressing a soft kiss to her lips, her hands slowly making their way to the back of his neck. Breaking apart, she looked up at him with a soft smile, her eyes bright from the flickering candles.

"Time to wake up." She whispered.

Confused, Daryl opened his mouth to question her; but before he could utter a single word he snapped awake, Beth's kitchen fading away to the brightly lit tent that he and Glenn had set up only hours ago. The happiness that he had felt from the memory of their 'romantic night in' slowly began to disappear when he realized that that was all it had been. A memory. A dream that brought him back to the time in his life where he had felt complete.

Head dropping back onto his pillow, Daryl closed his eyes in hopes of returning back to that night. Back to he third date that had left him itching to be with her every moment of the day. But no sooner had his eyes drooped shut did he hear the words whisper out again.

"Time to wake up..." Only this time, the whisper was followed by an all too familiar girly giggle .

Opening his eyes once again, Daryl slowly lifted his head to peer towards the entrance of his tent; Beth and Maggie both standing outside trying hard to stifle their chuckles as they gazed in.

"See you two slept well." Maggie chuckled, trying hard to maintain her composure by pressing the back of her knuckles to her lips.

"Do you want us to give you two some privacy, or..." Beth asked, pointing between the two boys.

Turning to look at what had got the girls so giggly, Daryl's eyes almost bugged out his head when he found his arms wrapped tightly round Glenn's still sleeping form; the boys face pressed lovingly into his chest.

"Wha- Get off me, man!" He cried.

Snapping away from his friend as fast as he could, Daryl quickly tripped out from the tent; Beth and Maggie's hysterics finally bursting forth as Glenn slowly begin to rouse. Running a hand through his hair, Daryl (a little red faced), cleared his throat, Beth coming to his side before nudging him playfully.

"See you still like to snuggle." She whispered through a giggle before casting him a wink and heading to her own tent.

At the sound of Glenn's loud yawn, Daryl drew his attention away from the beautiful blonde who had been haunting his dreams. The girl, who he was pretty certain, would most likely be making an appearance in the land of nod again.

"What time is it?" Glenn asked as he crawled out from his tent, tiredness thick in his voice.

"Just after 7." Maggie called as she began to help Beth pack away their gear.

Standing straighter, Glenn's eyes went wide, a look of fear taking over.

"7!?" He cried "In the morning!?" A little confused, Maggie nodded, something which only seemed to fuel Glenn's sudden panic "Well, let's go, then! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! I'll drive!"

Running to the truck, Glenn wasted no time in getting in and firing the engine to life; Daryl, Maggie and Beth watching on in wonder as he slowly turned the truck in the direction of the exit.

"Uh, Glenn..." Maggie began, walking up to the driver's side "Sweetie, we've still got to pack up. You need to wait till we're ready."

"Maggie!" Came his reply, his brow sweaty as he glanced between his girlfriend and the road in front "If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives."

"And if we don't, then we'll be freezin' our asses off every night." She said, confusion dripping from her voice before she walked back towards the tents "Man, who knew wakin' up in the arms of another dude would put you into such a panic."

"Yeah..." He whispered, glancing at the clock on the dash, the seconds hand counting down like a bomb "Who knew?"

**…**


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Embrace the detours, Enjoy the journey,_   
_Explore the open road_

**Chapter Eleven**

Daryl couldn't take his eyes off of her. Even if he wanted to, he knew it would have been near damned impossible. He could only be thankful that he wasn't the one driving. An hour into their day's journey he still hadn't spoken a word to her, and as far as he was concerned, he didn't need to. Her sweet voice still rang out from his dreams; the loving words she had whispered to him that night, the ones he missed more than he was caring to admit, were far too meaningful to be replaced with anything they had to say now.

As her head rested against the scratched window; her fingers dancing across the beaten upholstery of the truck door; Daryl felt his smile being pulled from him at the sight of hers. He couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. What had got her smiling. He wondered if there was the slightest chance it had anything to do with him.

Chewing on his thumb nail; a bad habit he had picked up throughout childhood; Daryl leaned back against the door on his side. He made no effort to hide his stare, something Beth was beginning to pick up on. Running a hand through her blonde locks, she shot a quick glance in his direction from the corner of her eye, her bright smile never fading when he failed to look away.

"What?" She finally asked, loud enough that only he could hear "Don't tell me I got mud on my face, or somethin'."

As she reached up to rub the imaginary dirt from the side of her nose, Daryl felt his smile grow before his hand fell back to his lap. Confusion in her eyes, Beth never dropped his gaze, his smile bringing an all too familiar quickening to her heart.

"Nah." He finally whispered through his smirk, his head falling back against the dusty glass "I'm just enjoyin' the view." Pausing, his smile softened as the blush that he loved so much began to crawl up her cheeks, her eyes darting down to her hands as the corners of her lips twitched upwards "…It's beautiful."

It was then that she looked back up. Her big blue eyes widening as they met with his. Her lip trembled slightly, her mouth agape as she fought to find her words, but in the end all she could do was stare on in silence. Shifting slightly in his seat, Daryl shot her a small smile before finally turning away, a soft clear of the throat as they crossed over into Missouri letting her know that the conversation had drawn to its close.

With as much force as she could muster, Beth dropped her gaze; her hands once again sparking her interest as the memories that she had tried to supress pushed their way to the surface once again. Eyes closed, she drew in a shaky breath; flashbacks of joyous laughter, soft kisses, and gentle touches clouding her thoughts. If only returning to those days could be so easy.

It wasn't until Glenn let out a panicked mumble did she reluctantly crawl back into the real world, his high pitched  _'no, no, no, no'_ breaking through her memories; ringing out loudly over the steady beep from the dash.

"Glenn? What's wrong?" Maggie called out; her own panic evident as she sat up straighter "What is it?"

Blue locking with blue once again, Beth shot Daryl a look of confusion as he rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Gas!" Glenn eventually bellowed, his grip on the steering wheel tightening "We're running low on gas! Shit!" Swiping a hand across his glistening brow, he let out a strangled whimper "What do I do?  _What do I do_!?"

With eyebrows raised in wonder, and a small smile tugging at his lips, Daryl couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's nervousness. Scooting forward in his seat, his knee gently bumped Beth's. She almost wanted to kick herself as the chills ran up her spine.  _Dear lord, girl! Pull yourself together!_

"…You fill 'er up, Glenn..." He answered simply, before clapping a hand to his shoulder "Try not have an aneurysm, man." He chuckled "…I saw a sign back there sayin' the next gas station is in like 2 miles…We're cool."

Nodding shakily; his gulp audible; Glenn shot Daryl a weak smile before fixing his eyes back on the road.

As he sat back in his seat, the slight red tinge to Daryl's ears didn't go unnoticed by Beth, a small smirk involuntary breaking forth from her lips as he scratched the back of his head with a shy smile.  _Aw, he's being cute…Stop being cute!_  Snapping out of her thoughts, she cleared her throat. The last thing she was wanting, or needing, was for Daryl Dixon to be running wild in her head.

_It's goin' to be a long journey…_

**…**

In Glenn's opinion, the short drive to the gas station had felt longer than his entire freshman year at college. And  _that_  had felt long. Eyes darting back and forth between the road in front of him and his rearview, he couldn't help but silently pray that their stop off in Tennessee hadn't hindered them in any way. If it had, and Annette and Hershel had fully caught up with them, then he was pretty sure that Daryl would quite happily stuff him inside the box  _with_  Shawn.

Turning sharply into the station, tyres screeching against the tarmac, Glenn brought the truck to an abrupt halt by the furthest bay. Lurching forward in their seats, the back of Maggie's stopping Daryl mid-flight, a chorus of profanities soon rang out.

"What the  _hell_ , Glenn!?" Maggie cried, seatbelt cutting into her throat before she bounced back "Careful!"

Fumbling with his own belt while glancing over his shoulder, Glenn barely registered a single word fired in his direction. With a mumbled 'sorry' no time was wasted before he less than gracefully opened his door and stumbled out. Sharing looks of confusion, Daryl, Beth and Maggie slowly followed him.

"Ok…" Glenn stuttered, looking at his watch "It's exactly…8:17…"

"Exactly?" Daryl teased with a smirk, his strong arms crossing over his chest "Sure it's not 8:18, or..?"

"Daryl, shut up." Beth muttered; cutting in with a roll of the eyes.

Glaring up over his watch, Glenn shot his friend a humourless smile before grabbing for the hose.

"Just, everyone be back here in five minutes." He informed "No later!"

As the girls headed off towards the restroom; Beth casting a final glance over her shoulder as she went; Daryl soon found himself, once again, struggling to hold his smile back. Leaning up against the side of the truck, he buried his hands deep into the pockets of his torn up jeans as Glenn fought with the gas cap. The nerves that plagued his friend would have been enough to send him into a slight panic himself had he let it.

"Glenn, step away from the truck!" He eventually cried as he watched the boy finally pop the cap before trying to wrestle the nozzle in "I swear, man…" He chuckled, taking the hose from him "It's painful to watch."

With a small blush and half-hearted smile, Glenn ran a hand through his hair before frantically checking over the hood of the truck.

"Honestly don't know what's got you so jumpy this mornin'." Daryl carried on as he began to fill the truck.

"Guess I'm just a…worrier…" Came his reply, his gaze never leaving the open road.

As silence fell, the only sound coming from the gentle hum of the machine at his side, Daryl felt his thoughts, once again, being claimed by the fiery little blonde. He needed advice. And fast.

"Uh…hey, Glenn…You're good at all this romance shit…" He called out, glancing down at the nozzle "Can I ask you a… _hypothetical_  question?"

"Uh-huh, sure…" Glenn mumbled, his eyes moving frantically between his watch and the road.

Clearing his throat, oblivious to his friend's disinterest, Daryl kicked at the dirt under his feet; his own nerves and embarrassment slowly building up within him.

"Ok…" He began "Well, say I had this friend.  _Hypothetically_! Who used to date this girl… _Hypothetically_ …A year after their  _hypothetical_ break-up, would it be normal for this  _hypothetical_  friend to still have  _hypothetical_ feelin's for this  _hypothetical_ girl…Y'know… _hypothetically_ speakin'…"

"Daryl…" Glenn spoke, gently bouncing on his heels as he checked his watch once again "Do yourself a favour and tell Beth you like her before you lose all self-respect."

" _W-w-what!?_ " Daryl exclaimed through a quivered laugh "Dude, I have  _no_  idea what you're talkin' about…" Shaking the nozzle, he quickly hung it back up before fixing the gas cap back in place, his cheeks burning bright as he tried to hide his face "Seriously, you're readin' this all wrong…"

Without uttering a word, Glenn slowly turned to look at his friend; his eyebrows in danger of disappearing into his hairline as he stared on in disbelief.

"… _However_ …" Daryl reluctantly continued, stuffing his hands back into his pockets "If I  _was_  ever to meet a friend who is goin' through a similar situation, then I'd be sure to give him your Oprah inspired advice."

"Thought so." Glenn replied with a knowing smirk, before shooting a glance back to his watch "Ok, Maggie and Beth are now officially 32 seconds late!"

"Dear lord, it's the dawn of the apocalypse." Daryl smirked, taking up his previous post against the truck door "Relax, man. They're probably just doin' some girly shit…Like their hair or somethin'."

Face falling and eyes widening, Glenn pointed over the hood.

"Or they could just be talking to two random strangers!" He bellowed.

"What!?"

Snapping round, Daryl felt his jaw clench at the sight before him. With a smile brighter than the sun itself, Beth stood, a finger twisting in her golden hair as she giggled loudly at whatever Guy No. 1 (That's what he'd be referred to as, asshole unfortunately wasn't civil enough) had spouted off. He could only hope that Maggie would act as some form of an example and scold her, but nope. She seemed to be just as bad, doubled over at whatever Guy No. 2 had prattled on about.

…Except in reality, he really didn't care about Guy No. 2.

With a wide eyed glance at Glenn, Daryl wasted no time in stomping over to the girls, an angered growl escaping from his chest as Guy No. 1 reached out and gently nudged Beth, her musical laughter spilling forth once again.  _Touch her again and I'll rip your damn arm off and beat you to death with it!_

"Daryl, Wait!" Glenn whisper yelled as he galloped behind "They may be ruffians!"

"Shut up, Glenn!" He hissed back.

As the girl's laughter grew, Beth returning Guy No. 1's playful shove, Daryl felt his blood boil.  _How could this_ _ **possibly**_ _be gettin' worse!? I'm the one who's supposed to make her smile!_ His presence practically went unnoticed as he came to a thundering halt by Beth's side; the overly exaggerated clearing of his throat and Glenn's stumbled 'stopping technique' enough to drag her attention away from the two strangers.

"Hey, Daryl." She greeted through her giggle.

"Don't, ' _Hey, Daryl'_ me!" He snapped back, all the while glaring between Beth and Guy No. 1 "Do you know how late you guys are!? We said five minutes, and you are 32 seconds late! Thirty…two… _seconds_!"

"Oh, you have  _got_  to be kidding me." Glenn mumbled quietly.

With her smile falling slightly, and her eyes widening in confusion, Beth could only stare, silence quickly setting in over her and Maggie.

"…Sorry?" She forced out in the form of a question, her lips quickly curling back into a smirk as she turned towards Guy No. 1 again "We were just headin' back to the truck when we bumped into these guys."

Turning to look at the two men himself, Daryl tried his hardest to give his most menacing glower.

"Sorry for keepin' these two gorgeous girls back from ye." Guy No. 1 chuckled, his Irish accent thick as he reached out to shake his hand "Name's Murphy." Turning to Guy No. 2, he gave a single nod of the head "This here is me brother, Connor."

"They're from Ireland!" Beth beamed excitedly.

_No shit, Beth…_

Left with no choice but to shake Murphy's hand, Daryl pursed his lips in annoyance, Glenn reaching past him and shaking the brother's hands with a friendly 'hello'.

"Livin' in Boston now, though." Connor chimed in, casting a kind glance at the bubbly blonde.

"Boston!?" Maggie exclaimed, her eyes wide "That's  _far_. What brings you guys all the way down to Missouri?"

Sharing a quiet glance, the corners of their lips twitching up into a ghost of a smirk, the brother's turned to face her.

"Crime's gettin' to be a wee bit bad in our area." Murphy replied, his hands falling into his pockets "Thought we'd…get away for a while."

"We were just about headin' back onto the road when we were graced with the presence of these two beautiful creatures." Connor carried on with a subtle wink.

Giggling like school girls, Beth and Maggie bumped shoulders, their cheeks burning bright as the two brothers flashed their charming smiles.

"The lovely Beth, here, tripped right into me open arms." Murphy smiled, glancing at Daryl as Beth's musical laughter spilled out "Told her to at least let me buy her dinner 'fore she fell for me."

With the same playful nudge that he had used on Beth, Murphy reached over and bumped Daryl's arm; his warm chuckle doing little to sway the boy.

"Hilarious." Daryl all but growled, slinging and arm over the blondes shoulders "Anyway, it's been a pleasure, but we should really be headin' back out now."

"Oh, Daryl don't be rude." Maggie scoffed with a roll of the eyes "We got all the time in the world."

Nerves kicking in once again, Glenn cleared his throat before stepping forward. Daryl could have kissed him for what he said next.

"Maggie…" He mumbled, his eyes shifting anxiously "That isn't quite true… _remember_?"

"See, Glenn gets it." Was Daryl's muttered complaint.

Pulling his hands from his pockets, Murphy crossed his arms over his chest before turning to face his brother, his beaming smile sending the girls into a visible pile of goo once again.

"Yer not on a road trip are ye!?" Connor boomed, arms outstretched with joy as Maggie and Beth nodded "What an amazin' coincidence that is! Where ye headed!?"

"California." Beth replied without hesitation.

Daryl couldn't help but slap a hand to his forehead once the word spilled forth. He was pretty certain that the two strangers could have asked the girls their PIN numbers and they would have happily handed them over. With Beth losing complete function of her brain, and Maggie obviously forgetting that Glenn existed (not that he noticed), Daryl was pretty sure that the morning couldn't get any worse.

"California, eh?" Murphy smirked, Beth practically swooning at the sight.

_Accent. It's gotta be the accent…_

"Well…" He carried on "We'll leave ye some words of advice for yer travels, then… Glacadh na malairt slí, Bain sult as an turas, Déan iniúchadh ar an mbóthar oscailte…"

Heads tilted, Maggie and Beth stared on in awe.  _Yeah, definitely the accent._

"Wow…" They cooed.

"That was beautiful." Maggie smiled through a breathy sigh.

"Yeah…" Beth agreed "What does it mean?"

Smile never falling, Murphy glanced at his brother once more before turning back to face the girls.

"It was the words that our lovin' ma left with us when we left for America." He began, his voice softening "It means, embrace the detours, enjoy the journey, explore the open road."

"Ah, Ma always was a bit of a poet." Connor smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Glancing down at his own watch, his grip round Beth's shoulders tightening, Daryl let out an impatient grumble.

"Look, we've kept ye long enough." Murphy chuckled, glancing between Beth and her 'protector' "But it was lovely meetin' ye's."

"You too." Maggie smirked.

"Yeah." Beth agreed once again "Lovely."

"Safe trip." Connor said before slapping his brother on the chest and nodding over to their car "Take care."

Leaving the four standing, Murphy and Connor climbed into their black beat up Ford; a small wave and heart stopping smile leaving Beth and Maggie feeling like mush one final time. Daryl knew that as they drove away, God existed.

"Nice guys." Glenn chirped before glancing back at his watch "But as of right now we are 8.53 minutes behind schedule!"

As he raced over to the truck, the engine rumbling away before any of them could climb in, Maggie couldn't help but smile over at her sister.

"One word, hot!" She giggled.

"Very." Beth agreed, gently elbowing Daryl in the ribs as he grumbled "Those accents! Those smiles! Uh, I could have stared  _and_  listened to them all day. Even the way they said our names was…wow."

_If this is goin' to be the rest of the day, just kill me now…_

"…Was I the only one gettin' a gay vibe from that Murphy guy?" Daryl cut in, causing the two to roll their eyes as they climbed into the waiting truck "Seriously, was I?"

"Think so." Beth nodded, an eyebrow quirked in amusement "You know speakin' of Murphy, Daryl, you looked an awful lot like him. Didn't he, Maggie?"

"Oh, yeah." Maggie smirked "Could have been twins."

Daryl could only stare at them in horror, the very look he would give someone had they just kicked a puppy.

"…I looked  _nothin'_ like that guy!" He bellowed "Glenn looked more like him than me!"

Running a hand through her hair, Beth could only chuckle. He always had been easy to wind up.

"Whatever you say, Daryl." She mumbled, turning to look up at him, her big blue eyes sparkling "…Whatever you say."

**…**


End file.
